The Five Fabulous Suspects
by CiCi Ivory
Summary: While being punished for what is deemed as an "act of vengeance" on their gym teacher, five teenagers come together to clear their names - and maybe even break down a few stereotypes in the process. [Nyotalia included, AU]
1. Line-Up

_I swore I would never write Hetalia again and yet here I am, rewriting an old idea I had years ago that I got inspired to work on thanks to plenty of 80s movies, specifically the Breakfast Club. I deleted the original from AO3, but the new version will be posted there too._

 _This is an human AU, in high school, modern day. Contains Nyotalia._ _To make this AU work, Iceland (Erikur) and Norway (Lukas) are not brothers. It just wasn't going to work._

 _Anyway, here we go._

Lukas Thomassen ~ Norway  
Mathilde Densen ~ Nyo!Denmark  
Svea Oxenstierna ~ Nyo!Sweden  
Timo Väinämöinen ~ Finland  
Erikur Steilsson ~ Iceland

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects  
** _Line-Up_

Normally, Norman Willie would come into work and expect to be on damage control. Norman Willie had taken the vice-principal position because of how he was able to work so closely with both fine arts and athletics, but more often than not, he found himself as the activities supervisor and _then_ some.

Norman Willie did not despise the principal, John Havot. He did despise his work ethic. He was too carefree, believing that "teens will be teens."

However, Norman did not believe in that. If they didn't start discipline, these kids would never learn. They picked fights, vandalized the school, and disrespected their elders.

Today, this lazy Tuesday afternoon, was no exception.

As he stood in the hallway, holding his coffee mug, the gym teacher stormed up, huffing and puffing as he crossed his arms. "You are not going to believe this."

He was in for quite the treat.

 **x x x**

"Timo Väinämöinen, please report to Principal Havot's office now."

 **x x x**

"Svea Oxenstierna and Erikur Steilsson, please report to Principal's Havot's office."

 **x x x**

"Mathilde Densen, please report to the principal's office."

 **x x x**

"Lukas Thomassen, please report to Principal's Havot's office immediately."

 **x x x**

The door opened and the tall, the cobalt eyed male adjusted his glasses as the he made his way to the last of the empty seats in front of Principal Havot's desk. Next to him was Mr. Willie and Coach Jonah on either side.

"It has to be one of these brats. There is no other explanation."

"Woah, hold the phone, Hank!" Everyone turned their attention to the ashy blond male who had streaks of black in his hair. The girl with long, golden blonde hair and icy blue eyes scoffed as he held up his hands. "I don't know what you're accusing me of, but it isn't cool."

"This isn't the first time the gym has been subject of vandalism, and not to mention that someone broke into the uniform closet and ruined all the men's basketball ones, Timo." Coach Jonah eyed Timo. "Why don't you admit it, Väinämöinen?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Timo spoke up, messing with one of his many ear piercings. "And quite frankly, the rest of us do not either."

Mr. Willie sighed, shaking his head. "As of late, due to… _lack of punishment_ ," he muttered, eyeing Principal Havot. "Someone has decided to vandalize and torment Ms. Jonah. Now, as we had no evidence, we could not apparently punish anyone…"

"Wait," the golden blonde girl spoke up, crossing her arms. "You think _I_ did it?"

"Oh, can it, Princess, nobody thinks you're that innocent," the shorthaired sandy blonde female sneered.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot that suddenly someone like you can judge my moral standing."

"Miss Densen, Miss Oxenstierna, please," Principal Havot spoke up, laughing as he rubbed the back of his head. "Let Mr. Willie finish."

"However, now, we have motives and we have some evidence. You five are all of Nordic heritage, as some of you _love_ to proclaim."

"Hey, can't help that we Danes are the best looking," the shorthaired girl said, flashing a smile. The other female scoffed.

"As if!" she hissed.

"Svea, leave it be," a platinum blond male warned. "She's doing it to get a rise."

"Well, as it turns out, the latest damage has been tagged… with a Nordic flag. Everything was done in black, so there is no color, and quite frankly, it looks as if a five-year-old drew it…" Mr. Willie sighed as Timo cackled loudly. "Timo Väinämöinen, be quiet!"

"Yo, I'm just, hold on… this is ridiculous! I have an alibi, Mr. W! I was volunteering at Sunrise Orchards Nursing Home!" Timo interjected.

"As if anyone believes that," Svea hissed. "I don't know why Erikur and I are being mixed in with such _classless_ little punks."

"Again with the high and mighty shit," Mathilde mumbled, earning a pointed glare from Mr. Willie.

Timo nodded in agreement. "What's your alibi, Princess?" he asked, winking at her. Svea gagged, rolling her eyes.

"Oh please, if anything, it was you two," Erikur blew his platinum bangs from his face. "Why are we wasting our time? And trying to ruin my reputation?"

"Ah, yes, the reputation of a homophobic, close-minded, piece of shit jock who purposely tries to pick fights!" Mathilde sneered. "I'm so glad you want to uphold such a prestigious reputation. So much respect for someone who torments my friend because of his sexual orientation!"

Erikur turned to glare and Svea placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not worth it," she whispered, echoing his concern from earlier.

"Excuse me."

The blond boy on the end finally spoke up, adjusting his glasses. "Yes, Lukas?" Mr. Willie asked.

"You may say you have evidence, but why would any of us want to vandalize Coach Jonah's office?"

"Well, let me just ask that nice F that blemished your perfect school record. So much for a four-point-oh and Harvard with a nice failing grade and summer school hanging over your head," Coach Jonah interjected. Lukas' eyes narrow.

"The fact that my entire GPA was ruined because of one class…!"

"And you, Mr. Steilsson," the gym teacher turned to Erikur. "You and I have always been at odds, ever since I refused to let you start varsity basketball and football over Alfred Jones." Before Erikur could even protest, the coach turned to Svea. "And speaking of Jones, it would make sense that perhaps one of his many lady friends would be pissed because I interjected on his relationship."

"You should've kept your nose out of our business." Svea glared, clenching her fists.

"And let me think, Miss Densen, your failing grade and constant detentions weren't enough for you to hold a grudge?"

"Of course I do!" Mathilde replied. "I was on _crutches_! And you told me I didn't have the proper paperwork!"

"And finally, where do I start with you, Timo Väinämöinen…" Coach Jonah ignored the protests from Mathilde to turn to the last blond.

"Well, between your constant emotional and mental abuse, constantly getting detentions, being forced to perform stupid tasks, the time you caught me smoking and stole my cigarettes, I would say you have enough to say I did it…" Timo tapped his chin. "But I didn't, because I was at the nursing home last night!"

"Oh God, I don't have time for this bullshit!" Erikur muttered. "I had club soccer…"

"Except you didn't," Svea muttered. "Because it was cancelled… due to rain…"

"Well, Miss Densen? What's your excuse?"

Mathilde sighed. "I mean, I wasn't home, but I wasn't here. I was out with my friends… but I guess you can't prove I didn't come here, can you?"

"I was home all night," Lukas insisted. When he realized that Svea had yet to speak up, he turned to her. "What about you?"

"I was… busy…"

"Busy destroying the gym, I bet." Timo snickered and Mathilde nodded in agreement. Erikur rolled his eyes.

"Are you all so heartless that the one who did this is going to sit here and lie to me? Mr. Willie was fuming. His face turned red enough to match his hair. "Unbelievable! Principal Havot, do you have any ideas for what we should do?"

"Uh," the principal, who had been mostly silent, turned to his colleague. "Well, uh, I do not… but uh, you know, since you're so… invested in this, I will pass all responsibilities of discipline to you for this case."

Five pairs of eyes widened as Mr. Willie smiled. "Thank you, John. As for you five…" He turned his attention back towards the five teenagers before him. "Starting tomorrow, you will all be sentenced to after school detention _indefinitely_. Until one of you can come clean, you will all pay the price."

"That is so unfair!" Svea shrieked. "You know it was Mathilde or Timo!"

"It could just as easily have been you masterminding this elaborate sabotage, Princess." Svea whipped her head back to Timo.

"Stop calling me that!"

"Every day, after school, ninety minutes, you will be in the library… so I suggest you all get friendly, because you five will be spending a lot of time together."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. The five teenagers glared at Mr. Willie, but said nothing. All they knew is whoever did this was going to pay.


	2. Mathilde Densen

_I'm working on an upload schedule. I think I have up to chapter eight written, but I'm not sure. I don't wanna burn out by uploading so much at once and then having long waits for another chapter. The reason the original version was discontinued as most of my writing was is because when I started the original, I was starting college. I burnt out so much and didn't have the ambition so I just stopped._

 _As of now, you guys get the first two chapters. I'm thinking Wednesday I'll post chapter three, but again, we'll see. I'm still working with my new schedule. i'm taking 18 semester hours and I work two days a week now (I cut back from five days just last week). Like I said, I'm just seeing how my schedule goes and works with it._

Kiet Sripuy ~ Thailand

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Mathilde Densen_

"Wow, everyday after school, that sucks."

Kiet kicked off his shoes as he stepped inside the apartment. Mathilde mimicked the action, nodding her head as she set her bag down by the door. Kiet was a shorter guy, with dark hair and brown eyes. Mathilde nodded again, though nothing had been said. "And they think you did it?"

"They think I might be the one, but there's four other suspects, so…" Mathilde shrugged her shoulders as they made their way to Kiet's bedroom. His room was tiny, smaller than her own closet back home, but he kept it tidy and she felt at home when she was there. "What time do you work?"

"If you really don't want to go home, you can stay here, or go hang out with Jake and Jan." Mathilde shrugged.

"Jan's busy… with some girl… and Jake is grounded because of his grades… again…" she muttered, collapsing on his bed. "And I really don't want to impose on your mother." Kiet laughed.

"As if, Mom loves you! Honestly, she'll probably ask you to move in here next year. She's going to be so lonely without me…" Kiet sighed. "I mean, if I go to college… did I tell you the guidance counselor said I was a burnout? I won't amount to anything and college is just not plausible for someone like me."

"Just because you get detention and you're of a lower income?" Mathilde rolled her eyes. Her stomach churned with disgust. She hated that someone like Kiet Sripuy – smart, sweet, and talent Kiet – could be treated like that. "That's bullshit."

"Well, the jokes on her, because I got my ACT back and got a 34."

Mathilde sat up. "That's great! Have you applied to colleges?"

"Smaller ones near here, a few bigger state universities… I'm going to look at out of state ones next week."Kiet smiled and walked over to his dresser, opening a drawer as he pulled out a black button down and a pair of black slacks.

"I'm just worried about money… and mom…"

Mathilde frowned. She had no idea what that felt like. She shrugged her shoulders. "It'll work out. You're going to be fine." Kiet nodded and the sound of the apartment door opening and slamming shut echoed down the hall. "Is your mom home?"

"I guess. Mom?" Kiet called, walking out of his room. Mathilde got up and followed him into the very small kitchen, where his mom was collapsed in a chair at their small, folding table.

Everything in their apartment was small, tiny… it just wasn't what she was used to.

"Kiet! Mathilde, sweetie, how are you?" Kiet's mother called, picking up her head. Her skin was pale, her eyes had dark circles, and she forced a weak smile.

"I'm fine, Katreeya," Mathilde replied. Katreeya tsk'd loudly.

"I swear I tell you every time I see you to call me Kat!" Katreeya responded, her smile becoming more genuine. "Kiet, are you going to work?"

"Yes, at four…" Kiet responded, walking over to the sink and reaching into the cupboard, grabbing a small, plastic cup. He filled it with water and Kat nodded.

"When are you done?"

"I'm suppose to be done at ten, but…"

"You're not working a double," Kat snapped. "You need to come home. You have a test in your college class tomorrow and you need your sleep. Please, Kiettisuk…"

Mathilde felt her stomach tighten. She hated that she felt so jealous of Kiet and his mother. Kat was young, spunky, and sweet. She had always been like a real mom to her, but just watching her with Kiet made her wish that her life was like that.

"Okay, I'll be home no later than midnight." Kiet walked over, setting the cup in front of her. "You're not looking so good, Mom. Go lay down. I'll get you some medicine from the bathroom."

"I can get it myself. And if you're not home by midnight, I'm calling the cops." She laughed as she stood. "And yes, I haven't been feeling well, but luckily, I was able to finish my shift." Kiet nodded and Kat grabbed her cup. "See you, Mathilde, and Kiet remember – no later than midnight!"

"Yes, Mom!" Kiet laughed as she walked away. Mathilde sighed, crossing her arms as Kiet turned to her. "You sure you don't wanna stay here?"

"Nah, I need to get home… got homework and I feel Kat and I would gossip way more than I would study…"

 **x x x**

"Mathilde!"

Mathilde looked up from her phone as the woman dressed in a long, black dress entered her room. "Hey, Rosie!" Mathilde called.

"Your father is home and he's in his study," Rosie said, tightening her hair tie around her bun. Mathilde shrugged it off and Rosie entered the room, closing the door behind her. "I told him about the call I received from school."

"Oh, joy, I bet he ignored it." Mathilde snorted and Rosie sighed.

"He said he would tell your stepmother." Mathilde smiled as she sat up, knowing that Rosie altered the phrase a bit to Mathilde's liking. "I will expect a blowup at dinner."

"I'd rather eat soup in my room, anyway," Mathilde sneered.

"And just because he doesn't care," Rosie interjected, "does not mean I do not. Mathilde, what did you do?"

"They think I vandalized and targeted and slandered the gym teacher! I totally didn't!"

Rosie sighed. "But they believe you did, because of the shit you've done before. Mathilde, you really need to stop thinking about parties and booze and really start applying yourself! You're sixteen! You are a junior! Next year, it'll be time to apply to colleges and…"

Mathilde sighed loudly and Rosie stopped. Mathilde appreciated the housekeeper-maid-chef's gesture. In fact, Mathilde adored Rosie just because she cared. Rosie reacted to things she did. She didn't try to find ways to get mad or just flat out ignored her.

"I'm just saying… maybe you should think about school. If you want, I can talk to your father about a tutor."

"No, no," Mathilde insisted. "He'll find some snobby, rich asshole." Rosie smiled and walked over, leaning down to embrace Mathilde.

"I know you're better than what everyone else thinks," Rosie insisted. She walked towards the door. "I'll call you down for dinner."

She sighed again, muttered a quick, "Thanks," and went back to being ignored by her parents.


	3. Day One

This story will update Wednesdays and Sundays. I may add a third day during the week, but we'll see.

It's really nice to have up to chapter nine done so I can just focus on writing new chapters. It's a bit of a slow story, but that's because I have a lot of relationship building to do, guys.

Thanks for your support, everyone who has favorited/followed/etc this story. It means a lot, as I put a lot of time into it (as in late nights writing when I can't sleep, sometimes neglecting a paper in order to get another chapter done, etc).

Elise Vogel ~ Liechtenstein  
Leon Wang ~ Hong Kong

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Day One_

Erikur inhaled sharply as he watched Elise Vogel slowly approach him. "So, uh, you never called me back last night, Eri…"

He nodded, shoving a book into his bag. "Yeah, grounded… because my parents are pissed I got detention and all." Leon leaned against the locked next to him, rolling his eyes. Elise didn't catch it – or if she did, she decided to ignore it.

"So, are we… not on for this weekend?"

Erikur laughed, shaking his head. "Sorry, Elise, but again, ground…"

"That sucks. Well, maybe next weekend!"

Elise walked away without a second thought. Leon let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "You are a terrible person. If you don't wanna go on a date, just say so," Leon hissed, linking arms with him as Erikur picked up his bag. They began to walk towards the school's library, with Erikur rolling his eyes.

"It's not a lie, Leon, I am grounded…" Erikur insisted.

"So why am I coming over?"

"Parents on a business trip."

"So why am I coming over and not Elise?" Leon clarified. Erikur shrugged his shoulders and Leon shook his head. "You wonder why Nichita Costin hates you. That boy worships Elise Vogel and you're stringing her along!"

"Parents would freak if I had a girl over while they were gone."

The reached the library doors and Leon rolled his eyes again. "Whatever," he replied, flatly. "Have fun in detention. Talk to you later?"

"Maybe, if I get my phone back."

Erikur pushed the doors open and entered the library. School ended five minutes ago, leaving five minutes before the official start of his ninety-minute hell. Sitting at the table in the center was Lukas Thomassen, sitting at the head of the table.

Erikur didn't know Lukas. Erikur was a grade behind the other four students in detention with him, but he at least knew Svea through mutual friends. He knew of Mathilde due to her associated with Kiet Sripuy (he inwardly gagged at the thought of the male), and he knew of Timo because… well, everyone knew of Timo. Lukas… he never had heard of him. Lukas was invisible – an honest to God nobody.

Erikur decided to keep it that way and sat down on one side of the table, away from Lukas Thomassen. Lukas didn't glance up from his book and Erikur sighed in relief. The door opened again and Svea entered, her hair tied into a high ponytail. She smiled and sat down next to Erikur.

"Ready to die of boredom?" she joked. Svea, once you got to know her, was funny and warm. Compared to a lot of her other female friends, she was colder and more standoffish, but Erikur knew she had a heart of gold. He laughed.

"As if."

The door flew open and the sound of hard rock music played faintly. Svea turned around and glared daggers at Mathilde who sat down, removing her headphones and turning off the music. Svea rolled her eyes, turning back to Erikur.

"You know, maybe we wouldn't have to be here if _some people_ owned up."

Mathilde snorted. "Okay, well, you go right ahead and tell Willie you did it. I will be thankful."

From the librarian's office, Mr. Willie appeared. He scowled, asking, "Where is Väinämöinen?"

"Beats me," Mathilde replied.

"Probably going to skip out," Lukas deadpanned. Mathilde turned and stared at the bookwork in wonder. Mr. Willie crossed his arms.

"Well, I guess we can't start until he gets here!"

Thirty minutes later, Timo walked into the library. "I can explain…!"

"I do not want to hear it, Väinämöinen!" Everyone glared at Timo as he approached the open chair. Mathilde mouthed something in his direction and he shrugged, sitting down. The honey blonde propped her feet onto the table. "It is three! You were suppose to be here thirty minutes ago!"

"I said I can explain!"

"I don't want to hear your excuse! How would you like to spend Saturday with me?" Mr. Willie shouted.

"Oh, joy, sounds fun! Will we be ordering a pizza or should I pack my own lunch?" Timo laughed at his own joke, but Mr. Willie turned red. "Go on, slap with another Saturday! Maybe even a Sunday! Hell, why don't we spend every day together, Norman!"

"Timo!" Mathilde shouted. Mr. Willie hissed and walked over, tipping Mathilde's chair back as she tried to regain her balance.

"Feet off the table, and you!" He pointed at Timo, who smirked. "You think you're funny. And I think you're in for one hell of a month. Every Saturday, you are mine!"

"Good!" Timo spat.

Mr. Willie cleared his throat, checking his watch and ignored Timo. "At 4:30 you may all leave. There will be only silence. I will be in the office, the door open, and monitoring you. Any questions?"

Nobody responded and Mr. Willie nodded. "Good." He made his way back to the office he had occupied earlier and Timo watched him walk away, smirking as he was finally far enough away that he could whisper.

"Fucking killjoy." Mathilde rolled her eyes.

"You aren't helping your innocence case, T."

"That's because he's not," Erikur sneered. Mathilde glared, turning her attention fully towards the younger member of the five.

"Don't talk to me, Steilsson," Mathilde growled. "I don't fucking like you. Just sit there and shut your disgusting, bigoted mouth and leave me and Timo alone."

"Timo and I," Lukas piped up, not even looking away from his book.

"Ha, no," Mathilde sneered. "Listen, Nerdzilla, if you aren't going to contribute real words, then fucking can it." She held up her hand, but Lukas didn't even look up at her. Lowering it, she turned to Timo, mumbling, "So, T, you going to Julchen's this weekend or are you grounded?"

"Ugh, of course you're going to a druggie's party."

Timo turned to Svea, smirking. "Aw, Thilde, I think the Princess is jealous and wants an invitation." However, Mathilde clenched her fists, shaking her head.

"Excuse me? Listen, bitch," she began. "You don't get to talk about my friends like that."

"Hey," Erikur shouted, rising to his feet. "And you get to sit there talking shit to her? You fucking hypocrite! You say _I'm_ the bully when…!"

"Oh please! You act as if I didn't see what you did to my best fucking friend!"

"Guys," Lukas tried to interrupt. Mathilde rose to her feet. "I really don't want to get into any more unnecessary trouble."

"Stay out of it, geek," Erikur snapped.

"He's just trying to get under your skin, Thilde." Timo reached for her arm, but she jerked away. "He doesn't like anyone insulting his little girlfriend."

"Shut up!" Erikur sputtered. Mathilde snorted, leaning across the table, inches away from Erikur's face.

"Oh, okay, you big fucking baby," she began. "I'm going to tell you this once. And you better fucking listen. Just because your parents think you're God's gift to the fucking world does not mean you are. You are not special. I am not going to grovel at your feet or kiss your ass. You are not better than me, no matter what your fucking parents say."

Lukas looked up and he held his breath. He saw Erikur's expression glaze over, his eyes narrowing. He lunged forward, jumping across the table and tackling Mathilde to the floor. Timo jumped up from his seat, jaw dropping as Mathilde rolled him over onto the floor and pinned him.

Svea rose to her feet. "Are you just going to sit there?" she screamed at Lukas.

"I'm not getting involved in this," Lukas muttered. "This is between them."

"Kick his prissy ass, Mathilde!" Timo shouted over Lukas, who turned to glare at him. Svea's jaw dropped as Timo cheered on the female. She watched in horror as the two exchanged blows, suddenly leading to the loudest below she had heard.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?"

Mathilde pushed Erikur off of her, jumping to her feet and spitting in his face. Mr. Willie grabbed her arm, yanking her away and pushing Erikur back as he tried to lunge for her again. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Let me at him, Willie! He's been running his mouth for far too long!" Mathilde shouted, trying to reach around the vice-principal to grab the teenager. Erikur snorted.

"As if! She attacked me for no reason!"

"You so started it!"

"Quiet!"

Svea flinched as she sat down in her seat. Timo covered his mouth, trying to hide the very obvious snicker. Mr. Willie turned towards the three at the table. Svea looked between Lukas and Timo. "You three…! That's it! Since none of you seem ready to come clean, and certainly all you five want to do is egg each other on, I will see you _all_ on Saturday! Nine in the morning until five!"

"That's so unfair!" Svea shouted. "I didn't even do anything."

"You enabled this behavior and sat back and did nothing! Now, return to your seats and sit here in silence!"

Erikur walked back around the table, sitting down next to Svea as she covered her face in horror. He wiped his nose, a small trail of blood dripping from it. Mr. Willie grabbed a box of tissues, slamming it in front of him as he walked towards a nearby table. Mathilde sat down, glaring at Erikur. When he caught her glare, she narrowed her eyes.

' _You're dead_ ,' she mouthed. Erikur's blood boiled, but with Mr. Willie in such close proximity and the fact he had given up his Saturday for detention, he wasn't going to risk further punishment.

An eternity passed and finally, Mr. Willie stood up. "Now, does anybody have anything to say before I dismiss you?"

Timo raised his hand, not even waiting for Mr. Willie to acknowledge him. "Do you enjoy making children suffer or does the ginger part of you not care because, no soul?"

"You are this close to expulsion, Väinämöinen!" Timo laughed, waving it off as he stood up. Everyone else started packing up, with Mathilde hurrying out of the library as fast as she could. Erikur huffed, rolling his eyes and turning to Svea.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" He sighed loudly. He had much worse happen to him, anyway.


	4. Parents

constantly giving iceland and norway bad parents in high school aus like it's my fucking job.

Also, I added another upload day: alternating Fridays. I decided that twice a week my be too infrequent, but I want some breathing room in case my school workload becomes too much for me. I hope you're all okay with this.

Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or followed this story! It really makes me happy to see support on this project and keeps encouraging me to better myself and to write more stories. You guys have no idea how many I have planned out right now.

Indre Laurinaitė ~ Nyo!Lithuania

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Parents_

"How was practice, son?"

Erikur dropped his bag by the sofa, looking over as his mother peered out from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. He shrugged, muttering a quick, "It was okay." His mother's eyes narrowed.

"What happened?"

"A little rough practice, no big." Erikur waved her off. She huffed.

"You're lucky you're even still on the team," she mumbled. "With this detention ruining your perfect record, after all." Erikur frowned, lowering his gaze. "Come eat dinner. Your father is home already."

Erikur maneuvered around the cat and entered the kitchen, paling as his father looked up from his book, narrowing as he saw Erikur. "Well, well. Look who it is – the little hellion."

"Hello…" Erikur gulped, sitting down across from his father. "How was work?" he asked, trying to make idle conversation.

"Do you have homework?" his father asked, ignoring his question. Erikur nodded.

"I did some of it in study hall," Erikur replied. His father slammed his book down. "And… I have to go in for detention Saturday…"

"Of course," his mother sneered. "Here you go, fucking up again. God, Erikur…"

"You're not only purposely getting yourself into trouble, you're constantly lying to my face!"

"I did do some of it!" Erikur insisted. "All I have left is five more questions and…"

There was a loud slap. Erikur felt his cheek sting, and instinctively, he brought his hand up to it. His father stood up, grabbing the plate from in front of him. "Go to your room. I'll deal with you after dinner."

"That you ruined," his mother added. Erikur's stomach dropped and he slowly rose to his feet. His father reached across, grabbing him by his neck and throwing him to the ground.

"I said move!"

Erikur's stomach dropped and he got up again, moving to his room at a rapid pace.

 **x x x**

"Have your mother call me."

Lukas smirked as he shoved the drunken old man out of the front door. "How about… no." He slammed the door in front of him before the man could even reply. He huffed, making his way down the hall and stopping at the door to his mother's room, which was wide opened.

Inside, his mother was passed out on the bed already, when not five minutes earlier she had been screaming at him to help her kick her newest one-night-stand out. Lukas sighed, slamming the door shut, knowing damn well his mother wouldn't even stir at the sound. He finally reached his room, flipping on his light and turning on his iPod. It was old and dirty, but he knew he couldn't afford an iPhone – not when his mom was drinking away their grocery money every night.

He sighed, grabbing a book from his shelf and collapsing into his bed, staring out the window at the house next door. He saw a shadowy figure moving from the room and watched as the window opened. He smiled, setting his book down and moved towards the window, opening his. "Hey, Dre."

"Lukas, it is four in the morning." Indre Laurinaitė yawned, rubbing her dark green eyes and crossing her arms. "What's up? Mom throwing up again?"

"No, it was cleanup crew," Lukas replied. He snorted. "Should've seen this guy. Real keeper. Smelt so fucking bad. Emilie sure picked a winner tonight.

Indre sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "Honestly, Lukas, why don't you talk to her about this?"

"Because would you want to be told by your sixteen-year-old son you're an alcoholic whore?"

Indre tsk'd quietly. "Touché." Lukas nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "Honestly, I can't say much. My parents don't listen to me either. I know I'm smarter than both my older sisters, but they just don't listen because they assume since I'm the baby, I'm naïve and clueless. Parents just don't understand or want to listen, sometimes."

"I mean, you were friends with Feliks for years…"

"He's not that bad," Indre defended. "He's just fallen in with the wrong crowd… and speaking of which… how's detention?"

"Great. It's like free time to read. And the best part is, my mom doesn't even fucking care."

Indre laughed, although it was hollow and forced. Lukas shrugged. "I mean, I'm sure if she was sober, she would," Lukas explained. "But asking Emilie to be sober and take an interest in my life is apparently asking too much."

"Like I said, maybe if you talked to her…"

"It won't work. It's not gonna happen."

Indre rolled her eyes. "Stubborn. Well, I'm going back to bed. Turn off your fucking light. Night, Lu."

He mumbled something that was a quick 'goodnight' and watched her close her window and draw her blinds.

Indre was smart. Lukas knew she was right, but he knew his mom better than she did. Parents just don't want to listen and Emilie Thomassen was no exception.

Lukas gulped. Too bad it might kill her if she doesn't.


	5. Day Three

I almost forgot it was update day. Haha?

Timo is 100% done with everyone and sometimes, I don't blame him. This chapter is more of a homage to _The Breakfast Club_ , kind of to help set the scene for their Saturday maybe? I haven't looked over that chapter yet.

Johannes 'Jan' van Dijk ~ Netherlands

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Day Three_

Thursday came and went, with nothing truly eventful happening. Mr. Willie supervised their detention closely on Thursday, but after some sweet talking from Erikur and Svea, agreed to let them have their space, so long as everyone stayed quiet and didn't try to pick fights.

Lukas felt bad for Mathilde Densen, who seemed to be the target of a lot of backlash following Wednesday's fight. Lukas knew she had crossed a few lines with what she had said to Erikur and Svea, but Lukas felt like there was justification in what she did. Mathilde seemed like the kind of girl who would stand up for her friends until the end, and he admired that.

Entering the library Friday, Lukas was surprised to see Mathilde had beaten him there. Johannes van Dijk was standing across the table from her and she was beaming from ear-to-ear. Lukas tilted his head, curious in what was going on. He knew Johannes from a few classes – but he didn't _like_ the guy one bit. He knew Mathilde kept bad company, but he assumed that it was just reputation.

She blushed as he spoke to her, before knocking on the table twice and waving, turning and walking straight into him. "Sorry, man," Johannes said, his dirty blond hair spiked up, the scar on his forehead on display. Lukas shrugged and Johannes kept walking. Mathilde looked up and frowned.

"What's with the shit eating grin?"

"Nothing, I guess it's not my concern who you decide to sleep with in your spare time."

Mathilde's jaw dropped, and Lukas took his seat next to her. "Oh, no! Jan and I… no! He's just a friend."

"But you've clearly fucked him," Lukas responded. "I mean, the list of who you haven't fucked is rather short."

"I didn't think you were so petty that you would engage in gossip," Mathilde snapped. Lukas shrugged.

"I'm a fly on the wall – invisible. Nobody sees me, so they talk and I hear."

Mathilde's fists tightened and Lukas raised an eyebrow. "You don't know the first thing about being invisible, punk."

"Did someone say punk?"

Jumping into the seat at the head of the table, Timo smiled at Mathilde, winking at her as she released the tension in her fists. "Ready for another boring ninety minutes?"

Mathilde shrugged, turning her attention away from Lukas as she and Timo engaged in idle conversation. The door flew open, with Svea Oxenstierna glaring at the three in the room and taking her seat across from them. Timo snickered. "Ah, look! The portrait of virtue and snobbiness!"

"Leave me alone!" Svea hissed.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that Your Royal Bitchiness is not holding court today." Timo leaned closer to her. "Tell me, Princess, what is the issue that hath befallen your kingdom today?"

"The fact I even have to breathe in the same air as you."

Lukas quirked a brow and Mathilde shook her head. "Didn't know Daddy Dearest owned all the oxygen in the world." Svea glared at Timo. "Bet Daddy Dearest doesn't know that you use his credit card to make straight lines and the fifties he gives you to snort coke, huh?"

"I'm ignoring you, starting now."

Timo smirked, leaning closer to Svea. "Oh, please, Princess, you couldn't ignored me if you tried." Svea turned red and before she could react, a body suddenly occupied the seat next to hers. She paused, turning to face Erikur. She gasped, covering her mouth as Erikur looked down at the table. Both eyes were bruised, with his left eye almost swollen shut.

"Hold that thought, Princess," Timo said, holding up his hand. "Now, what did you do to get those shiners, Lord Prissy Pants?"

"Shut up," Erikur grumbled.

Mathilde crossed her arms, shaking her head. "Now, I know I gave your punk ass nice whooping two days ago, but no way in _hell_ did I cause that."

"Shut up!" he repeated, slamming his hands onto the table. Mathilde leaned back, quirking an eyebrow as Timo laughed. "God, you both have been nothing but annoying!"

"They're just asking what happened," Lukas interjected. Svea turned her attention to the normally quieter one of the group. "You act like walking around with two black eyes is normal."

"You're such a fucking know-it-all!" Erikur snapped. Svea shushed him, peering into the office as Mr. Willie looked up, glaring at them. They waited a few moments, before Erikur whispered, "God, you three are literally a waste of fucking space."

Mathilde clenched her fists and Timo's eyes narrowed. "That's so classy," Timo spat. "God, you know, I _wish_ I was as cool as you are. I wish I could fucking play sports all day long and get out of doing homework and being _worshipped_ like some piece of shit big shot."

"I wish I could get away with being a piece of shit bigot," Mathilde said. Erikur crossed his arms.

"If this is about your little homosexual best friend…"

"You know you instigated that whole scene! You know you're the reason Kiet was fucking suspended!" Mathilde shouted. Svea turned to Erikur, shock on her face. "Yeah, tell your little girlfriend what you did! How you started by calling him terrible, offensive names and then how you beat the shit out of him and when he tries to retaliate, you got him suspended!"

"He was c-coming onto me!" Erikur sputtered. Svea shook her head, turning her attention back to Mathilde.

"As if! He wouldn't dare touch someone like you!"

"This is getting pretty intense, eh, Princess?" Timo whispered, leaning in. "You know, if things don't work out between you and Sporto, I'm free this Saturday after detention…"

"Ugh, bite me," she muttered.

"If that's what you're into," Timo said with a smile and a wink. Erikur turned his attention from Mathilde, glaring at Timo. "Hey, Jock, looks like your little girlfriend is into a little pain… not like you would know what that is."

"Excuse me?" Erikur asked.

"I mean, unless you're both into that kinky stuff," Timo mused. Mathilde snorted loudly.

"As if. Little Svea Oxenstierna is wearing white on her wedding day."

Svea turned bright red and lowered her gaze. Lukas smirked, but said nothing as Svea shook her head. "You know, some people enjoy not whoring around," Erikur retorted, eyeing Mathilde as she stopped laughing.

"Awh, really? As if that puts you on a moral high ground." Snorting again, Mathilde rotated towards Timo. "Listen to this – the Bible thumping, bigoted, homophobic jock wants to give me a lesson on morality or whatever."

"Oh, boy, what Bible verse is he going to quote at us today?" Timo joked, causing the two to erupt into quiet snickers.

"I'm Agnostic."

Timo and Mathilde stopped laughing, turning to Erikur as the platinum blond huffed. "I'm Agnostic," he repeated. "If even that. I'm not sure. Just because my parents are devout Christians doesn't mean I am."

Timo lowered his gaze. "Well, hell," he muttered, feeling slightly guilty for his previous comments. Mathilde, however, rolled her eyes, obviously not buying whatever Erikur was saying. Lukas cleared his throat.

"I am, too."

Everyone turned to face him. "I mean, I don't not believe in the existence of a god. I mean, there could be a higher power, but I'm not sure I'm ready to jump on an organized religion bandwagon. I'm not sure I'm ready to let some books and figures of what one group says is a god define how I live my life."

"If I wanted philosophy, I would've taken the damn class," Mathilde muttered. Erikur smiled at Lukas. "I can't decide how I feel about you, Brainiac." Lukas hummed in response, urging Mathilde to continue. "You're witty, obviously, but here you are lecturing us like you're… better than us. What gives?"

"I'm sorry I'd rather pay attention to my studies than alcohol and drugs," Lukas responded. "I am who I am."

"But like… what if you're not being who you are?"

Mathilde elbowed Timo in the stomach. He doubled over in pain. "Oh please, don't you dare start with this whole social perception thing. It's just a load of shit. These two," she said, pointing towards Erikur and Svea. "Are popular and rich. They benefit from society. This one…" She pointed towards Lukas. "Acts like he's so much better because I bet he took his ACT and got a perfect score the first time around."

"Almost perfect."

Lukas smirked and Mathilde gawked. She would normally have slapped anyone for such a smart-ass comment, but something about this boy…

Timo sighed. "That's the issue! You perpetuate the stereotypes too, Thilde!" he shouted. "I mean, really, nobody's looking pass me and my piercings and my tattoos, but I feel like if you really got to know me…"

"Oh, please, as if anybody would want to spend time with a drunk, punk like you," Svea interrupted. "In five years, you're going to be in prison. You're reckless and stupid and probably flunking out."

Timo scowled. "You know, Princess, some people have to work for things in life, but I doubt you know the meaning of the word. I bet your definition of suffering is when Daddy didn't get you the newest Mercedes Benz for your sweet sixteen."

"Shut up."

"You know, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe all you are is a rich, valley girl who has Daddy's credit card ready to buy whatever you want."

Svea groaned loudly, clenching her fists. Erikur placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. "Not worth it, Svea. Hey, Väinämöinen, how about you leave us alone and we'll leave you alone?"

Timo stood up, slamming his chair against the table. "Whatever, don't wanna be around you fuckheads anyway."

He stormed off, walking towards a section of books about history. Mathilde frowned, rising to her feet and walking after him.

Lukas frowned, realization hitting him that if they couldn't last ninety minutes together, then spending eight hours in the same room tomorrow was going to be impossible.


	6. Proud

Well, let's say I forgot it was Wednesday. The Knicks lost yesterday, my birthday is Saturday, and another short chapter with insight into the lives of Timo "I Have the Best Family Ever" Väinämöinen and Svea "Someone Stop My Dad from Being too Nice" Oxenstierna.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Proud_

"Timo, I wish you would apply yourself more."

Timo sighed as he began to remove his ear piercings. He set them on the coffee table, his younger sister watching in amusement. His mother frowned, shaking her head as she set two glasses of milk in front of her children. "I'm serious, Timo," she pleaded. "Everyday I get a call from the office, I feel like your chances of college slip away farther and farther…"

"Mom, it's okay," Timo insisted. "You always said that won't define me. I don't have bad grades."

"They're not fantastic," she retorted.

"Mom, I'll be fine. You and Dad will want for naught!"

Timo smiled and looked around their house. It was homey – perfect for a family of four. It had less space when his older brother was around, but with him in the military and all, they had a bit more room for themselves now. Timo knew his family wasn't rich. His mother had gone back to school to try and become a nurse, up to her ears in debt, while his father worked a meager job at a grocery store, but they made ends meet and always supported him and his siblings.

He always knew one day he would by them a nice retirement condo, probably someplace warm. It was the least he could do for them, after all they do for him.

"I don't care about us, sweetie," his mother said. "I care that you'll be getting the best education and will be happy in your life… I don't want you to struggle…"

"Mom, I've never been unhappy with my life," Timo insisted. "I love you, Dad, Leevi, and Venla a ton! I've never been unhappy with our family!"

"But you could be so much better if you just…"

Timo leaned in, embracing his mom in a side hug. "Listen to me, Helmi Väinämöinen! I am going to be all right! And you will be so proud of me!"

"I already am," she admitted, hugging him back.

 **x x x**

"What did Mama mean when she said that she doesn't want you to struggle?"

Timo looked up from the book as his little sister tilted her head. He closed it, shrugging his shoulders. "I think she means she doesn't want us to feel like we have to scramble for money. I guess she feels guilty her and dad have to work so hard to make ends meet…"

"I hate that money is so important," Venla grumbled, crossing her arms. "The girls at school call me white trash because I'm poor. But I'll show them!"

"The girls at school are super bratty." Timo's mind immediately went to Svea Oxenstierna. He assumed she had a perfect life – rich family, everything she ever wanted – and that anyone who wasn't rich wasn't worth her time.

"They are, that's why I don't play with them."

Timo smiled, ruffling his sister's hair. "Hey, Venny, that's smart."

And while Svea may have money, at least Timo had a happy and functional family.

 **x x x**

"Svea?"

"It's me."

Svea kicked off her flats, rubbing the balls of her feet as she entered the small shack. Her father looked up from the sofa, rising to his feet. "Hey, baby girl," he said, walking over to her and hugging her. "How was work?"

"I had a lot of customers tonight," Svea replied with a smile. "The tips were good. How was work for you, Daddy?"

"Great," he replied. She walked into the living room, sitting down in a nearby recliner, covered in dirt and patched up with fabric. "I just was waiting up for you."

"But you work at three in the morning," Svea replied. She glanced at her watch. It was midnight. "Daddy, you should've gone to bed."

"I don't sleep well until you come home anyway," he responded. Svea rolled her eyes. "You know, I hear prom is coming up."

"So it is…" Svea's stomach twisted with guilt. Her father had always been such a kind and loving man. He made sure she had everything she needed – and then some. She felt so bad watching him work to the bone just to make sure she was happy.

"Are you going with that Alfred boy?"

"I don't know, we're kind of… old news, I guess."

Svea shrugged her shoulders. In reality, they still had a thing – but it wasn't something she could share with her father. He was so proud of her, and if he knew, he would definitely be so disappointed. She smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

"Don't worry. You're too pretty to not be asked, Svea. I know you really want that one dress… so…"

"Daddy, no, it's fine! Really!"

Svea's protest fell on deaf ears. "Next Saturday, okay?" he asked. She tried to argue, but he would not hear it. "You deserve it, sweetie."

"Dad, seriously."

"I won't take no for an answer."

 _Of course he won't_ , Svea thought as she sighed. Eventually, she made a sound that was half-agreeing, half-anger at the fact her father was going to waste so much money on her. She wasn't ungrateful – but she wished he would take care of himself too.

"Your mother would be so proud of the woman you're becoming."

Her throat clenched. Her father stood up, kissed her forehead, and walked to his room. Svea waited until she heard the door close before she let out a semi-wail.

If her dad knew she was a bitch, if her dad knew what she was really doing on nights she claimed she picked up another shift but in reality she was elsewhere… he wouldn't be saying that. Svea admired her dad. Her mother had died years ago, when she was young, and what she could remember of her mother, she knew that her mom would be disgusted with her.

Fighting back tears, her phone vibrated loudly.

 _u up? can i cum over? ;)_

Svea sighed.

 _Yeah. Just be quiet and park down the street. My dad is home._

 _sound gud. same price as always? i have $$$ for you_.

She sighed loudly, walking over to her room to change out of her uniform.

 _Yeah, same as always. See you soon, Alfred._


	7. Agreement

I'm surprised I'm not dead. I turned 21 yesterday.

On with the story... which is just the forming of a terribly mismatched team.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Agreement_

"It is now 9:02."

The group sat facing Mr. Willie, all at individual tables. Mr. Willie lowered his rest, scanning over the library at the five teenagers before him. "You now have seven hours and fifty-eight minutes to sit here and think about what happened Wednesday and for that matter, last night."

Another round of vandalism had occurred, conveniently while the five were still in the school building. "Mr. Willie, it wasn't me."

"The rules are no talking, no leaving, no fun, no _anything_." Mr. Willie glared at Svea. "I will come in periodically and ask if you need a bathroom break. I will give you a lunch break. But other than that, you will not leave this library. Understood?"

"Mr. Willie? What if there's a fire?" Timo asked. "I mean, I don't want to disrespect your rules and all…"

"You have earned yourself another Saturday detention, Väinämöinen."

"Oh joy!" Timo clapped. "I love spending time with you. Honestly, I can't wait!"

"And that's another right there!"

"Cut it out!" Svea snapped, turning around to face Timo. She mouthed ' _stop_ ' towards him and he smirked.

"You better listen to your classmate, Väinämöinen!" Timo laughed, but said nothing. Mr. Willie huffed. "I'll be in the office." As he walked away, Erikur lowered his gaze to the table. Once he was out of earshot, Svea turned around.

"Do you enjoy making an ass of yourself?"

Timo snorted loudly. "I enjoy this idea you have that makes you think you're better than me." Svea rolled her eyes. "It's not even noon and you're already giving me shit."

"I was trying to help you!" Svea explained.

"I don't need your help, Princess."

"Guys, it's too early for this."

Mathilde's complaint made Erikur nod in agreement. Timo flipped them off, keeping his attention on Svea.

"I think it's really, really cute how you try to act like you don't care, yet here you are – trying to 'help me,' or so you claim." Timo laughed, but something was off. Svea flinched and lowered her glance. "Gee, Princess, it's almost like you're in love with me."

"Oh please," Erikur snorted. "She has Alfred Jones, why would she _ever_ want you?"

"I don't… we aren't…"

"Heard he dumped you because you wouldn't put out." Mathilde laughed and Timo joined in. Erikur looked over at Svea, her lip quivering as the two continued to laugh.

"I… I… shut up!" she tried to get out. However, her voice wavered, her eyes were burning, trying to hold back her tears. Svea felt one slide down her cheek and Erikur watched as Mathilde stopped laughing.

Timo scoffed. "Cry all you want, Princess." He crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair and put his foot onto the table. "I don't feel bad for you."

 **x x x**

By the time noon rolled around, everyone felt their stomachs grumble. It had been a lot of sitting and doing nothing, sans the one bathroom break they had about an hour ago. Erikur watched as Mr. Willie appeared. "Lunch time. One hour break. I have waters for you all."

He walked around the room, handing all five of them waters and slowly maneuvered back to his office. Erikur watched as everyone else began to dig out their lunches. His stomach grumbled and he opened his water, taking a sip.

"I thought only wrestlers were suppose to cut weight?"

Mathilde smirked as she collapsed in the seat next to him, her small plastic container filled with some kind of pasta like dish. Erikur mumbled something inaudible in reply and turned away. "Mommy and Daddy forget to pack your lunch?"

"Can it," he muttered. She smirked and leaned back, opening her container of spaghetti. Erikur snuck a glance at the food and his stomach rumbled louder. Mathilde slide the Tupperware over towards him, dropping the fork in front of him.

"I know you didn't forget your own lunch."

"Thanks, but no thanks, it's probably laced with meth or something."

Mathilde began to laugh. "Kid, you don't even know how drugs work." He huffed. "Go on, eat it. I have a sandwich anyway. If you don't eat, then you'll die and if you die and don't admit you destroyed the gym, then we'll be here for the rest of our lives."

"You're incredibly selfish," Erikur hissed, but picked up the fork and began to eat regardless of how he felt. Mathilde was nice enough to share, surprisingly, so he decided to just go with it.

"Why do you hate gays?"

Mathilde watched him choke on his bite of pasta. "What?"

"You were picking on Kiet because he's gay… I heard what you said."

Erikur turned to her. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

Svea snorted and Erikur turned around. "I don't know, I'm with the bitch on this one," she said. "You do seem to pick on Kiet Sripuy a lot because he's gay."

"So does Alfred and…!"

"So do you do it because your friends do?"

"My friends – well, best friends – don't even _know_ him!"

Mathilde frowned. "So it's to fit in with your teammates?"

Erikur frowned in response and Mathilde sighed. Timo and Lukas exchanged glances and Lukas spoke up. "That's cool. Can't even think for yourself."

"Look, I don't have to explain myself to any of you," Erikur hissed. "Yeah, my teammates dare each other to do shit like that. And yeah, fine, my dad is the biggest fucking bigot in the world, but that's not… I mean…"

"You called him a _fag_."

Mathilde spat the word out like it had a bitter taste. Erikur's heart sank and he lowered his gaze. Yeah, he had used that word. And yes, he wasn't very proud of it. He liked to think of himself as more socially aware than most.

"What really set you off?" Mathilde asked.

"Nothing."

"Kiet wouldn't have hurt a fly…" Erikur began to grind his teeth. "I don't understand. He's done nothing to you."

"Yeah, Eri," Svea concurred. "I mean, normally you guys just dare each other to do dumb bully things, but what you did was very over the top."

"It's nothing that concerns you, Svea." Erikur clenched his fists.

"So he is just a bigot." Timo shrugged his shoulders. "Go figure."

"I hate him because it's not fair!"

Erikur slammed the table so hard the container of spaghetti flipped over. Mathilde jumped back a little, her eyes wide as she watched Erikur steady his breathing. Svea blinked, her jaw agape. He began to clean up the mess.

"What's not fair, Steilsson?" Lukas asked. He was doubtful that Kiet Sripuy had something that he didn't.

"I hate him because it's not fair he can be who he wants to be!"

Erikur's knuckles began to turn white. Lukas shook his head, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Mathilde tapped her fingers against the table as Timo was rendered speechless. "So… you like dicks?"

"Eloquent, Timo," Mathilde commented.

"Fine! Yes! I'm fucking _gay_. Your star striker, safety, small forward, whatever is a fucking homosexual!"

Mathilde turned to Svea, who still looked like she was in shock. "Why didn't you tell any of us, Eri?" Svea asked. "You know your teammates don't care. And I assume your friends wouldn't either…"

"I have my reasons," Erikur said. Mathilde tilted her head.

"Parents?"

Erikur didn't respond, but he didn't need to. Mathilde frowned, nodding her head in an unspoken understanding of Erikur's dilemma. "So, you bully Kiet out of jealously? To make people think you aren't?"

"Kind of ashamed of that whole notion, really," Erikur mumbled. "I hate that I can't be myself so instead I act like the total extreme opposite."

"Have you dated a boy?" Timo asked. Erikur glared. "Or, I guess really anyone…"

"No. I haven't. Male or female. I'm pretty much a relationship virgin."

Mr. Willie entered the room and the group looked up at him. "What are you doing, Miss Densen?"

"Casual conversation, nothing too serious. Plus, Sporto forgot his lunch. I offered him mine."

Mathilde stood up and walked back to her table. Mr. Willie quirked an eyebrow, but Erikur did not seemed bothered by her presence, so he decided to let it slide. "Lunch is over."

They all nodded, cleaning up their areas and putting the food away. Mathilde waited until Mr. Willie was out of site. She moved back next to Erikur, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey kiddo, uh, about what I said… about you being a bigot…"

"I guess I deserved it."

Mathilde nodded and stayed next to him, letting the group drift back into uncomfortable silence.

 **x x x**

A few hours later, Timo tapped his chin. "Wait! Guys! I have an idea!" he erupted, causing Lukas to shush him. "I have an idea!" he repeated.

"Oh, _joy_ ," Svea spat. Mathilde glared, before turning back to Timo.

"You know… I'm starting to think none of us really destroyed the gym…"

Lukas slapped his forehead. "Oh, yeah, you know, how long did it take you to figure that out?" he snarled. Timo held up his hands in defense, giving the other boy a cheeky grin.

"Well… you know, why don't we work together?"

Svea scoffed. "As if!" She furiously shook her head. "All you've done is pick on me. I refuse…!"

"You don't like being in detention anymore than the rest of us, Princess," Mathilde pointed out. Svea pouted, but said nothing, knowing Mathilde did have a point. "Timo's right. I mean, nobody's going to believe us if we keep saying we're innocent, and quite frankly, I refuse to take one for the team, and if you're truly innocent, none of you should either."

Erikur crossed his arms. "Okay, so… what are you getting at?"

"The person doing this knows we're taking the blame," Timo explained.

"Well, as does the whole school," Lukas deadpanned.

"But they know as long as we're in here, they can get away with it. They have the ability to pin it on us. What we need to do… is catch them red handed!"

"And how do we do that?" Mathilde asked.

"I mean… we'll have to figure out who else could have a vendetta against Coach Jonah besides us."

Erikur snorted. "I can name five already." Timo snapped his fingers.

"That's it! With everyone's different social groups, we can totally figure out suspects. Also, we can do surveillance, hack into the computer systems… it'll be like an action movie!" Timo exclaimed.

"I'm not so sure," Lukas said. "It seems messy, choppy."

"I'm not seeing much of a choice," Mathilde responded. "I mean, we want out, and we don't wanna be considered the vandals. So, we gotta compromise somewhere, you know?"

Lukas shrugged, nodding in agreement. "Okay, fine. I'm in."

"So am I," Mathilde agreed. Erikur nodded.

"If it means getting out of detention, then let's do it."

Svea looked down at the table, avoiding the four pair of eyes that were studying her every movement, waiting for her response. She shook her head, and opened her mouth to protest. "Come on, Princess," Timo insisted, stopping her before she could say no. "You in?"

She closed her mouth and finally looked up. "I don't necessarily want to… but you're right. We don't have another option…" She nodded, slowly and unsurely, signaling to the others she was going to go along with their plan.

Timo cheered. "Let's go team!"


	8. Teamwork

Between midterms and papers, I forgot it was update day. Silly me.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Teamwork_

Following detention, the five went home and went about their own lives. Timo insisted on exchanging numbers, so they did, "because we have a mystery to solve!" Nobody had heard from anybody all Saturday night, at least not related to the plan.

By the time they had heard from Timo, it was six in the evening on a Sunday night.

 _lets meet up skool b4 it starts – lunch room ill be there at 7._

Erikur glanced up from his phone, scanning the lunch room that held maybe twenty total kids – and not one of them was Timo. He scowled, moving over to the milk container case as he grabbed two cartoons. His hand brushed someone else's and he jumped, looking up and staring into two brown eyes.

"Oh," the voice said and Erikur blinked.

 _Kiet Sripuy_.

He forced a frowned on his face – which came a lot easier than it normally would because of the fact he was already annoyed by the group's tardiness. Erikur dropped his carton back into the crate. "Oh, sorry, am I so disgusting you can't even stomach milk?"

Erikur thought about throwing a fit. It was expected of him, after all. Had his friends been here, he might have thrown a few punches, but he ignored the comment. Kiet frowned, shaking his head. "I forgot, you're too good to talk to anyone who isn't a dumb, rich, jock."

Erikur's stomach twisted into knots. "Hey!" he shouted, catching Kiet's arm as the senior tried to walk away. "What the fuck is your issue?"

Kiet rolled his eyes, jerking away as if Erikur was on fire and his touch hurt. "You can't sit here and feign innocence. You're lucky I don't like beating up on kids half my age."

Erikur growled, clenching his fists, but said nothing. Sure, Erikur was younger than him, but he felt the teen had no right to insult him for that. He bet he got better grades than the Asian guy, anyway.

"Eri?"

Erikur turned and Svea stood behind him, crossing her arms. "Come on, we're meeting some people… _remember_?" she hissed. Erikur looked over his shoulder back at Kiet and turned back to Svea.

"Yeah, I do," he muttered, following her towards the door that led to the outside tables. Svea elbowed him, shaking her head as he said, "I didn't do anything! He was rude to me!"

"I don't blame him."

Erikur rolled his eyes. "He assumes…!"

"There he is!"

Erikur blinked, looking over at the table hidden from view by bushes and trees and away from the windows of the lunchroom. Timo waved and the two sat down at the table. "Glad to see you didn't bail, Sporto."

Mathilde nodded. "Anyway, Timo, you wanna start?"

"So, anyway, I was doing some homework…" He paused, biting his lip. He shrugged, adding, "Fun homework, not actual homework… and it seems Coach Jonah has made quite a few enemies besides us in the student body."

Timo opened his bag, pulling out a large, three-ring binder. He opened it up. Svea and Lukas quirked their eyebrows. It was neatly organized, each student in it had their own section. They didn't expect Timo to be this organized.

"Leon Wang… Manuel Wang… Arthur Kirkland… Natty Arlovskaya… Anya Braginskaya… Traian Costin… Nichita Costin… Jan Van Dijk…" Mathilde stopped after reading off a few names. "And what makes you think any of these kids have it out for Jonah?"

"Or us, even," Lukas added. Timo waved his finger.

"See, it may not be an 'us' issue. It can be as simple as one of us," Timo explained.

"Leon wouldn't do something so childish," Erikur jumped in. "I bet it's Jake Walters."

Mathilde turned to Erikur and frowned. "How well do you know your friends, Erikur? Because I know mine pretty well and I know Jake doesn't have a vendetta against any of you."

"So what about Kiet? He's on this list." Svea crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes as Mathilde looked away.

"I can't speak for him, just Jake. Kiet's never been one to retaliate but…"

Mathilde lowered her gaze and gnawed on her lip. Svea rolled her eyes, but said nothing in return as Timo cleared his throat. "We have a lot of names to get through, but this is great! We all are part of different social groups, so we'll be able to investigate everyone!"

"And the best way to get half of this list talking is a little bit of alcohol," Mathilde cackled. Svea scoffed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Princess, did you want to come to the party? I didn't think it was your scene."

"I don't know why you feel the need to bring your alcoholism…"

"Why I oughta…!"

"Guys, come the fuck on!" Timo shouted. "We have to work together. After we clear our names, then we can go back to hating each other." He crossed his arms, huffing. "I mean, I don't wanna be in detention until I'm thirty, and I know they can withhold diplomas for this shit."

Lukas nodded. Normally, he felt himself at odds with the punk, but for once, he agreed with this idea. Erikur tilted his head. "So… a party?"

"Yeah, it's kind of like, across the river, though… again, didn't think it was your scene, Erikur."

Erikur shrugged. "Nichi tends to want to go to any party… besides, who's hosting it?"

"Jake Walters," Mathilde muttered. Erikur tried to keep his face from scrunching up, but Mathilde immediately just interjected, "Show up if you want. Randos not from our group do it all the damn time, anyway."

Timo elbowed Mathilde. "So that's one way to get people talking. But what about the fact that someone keeps vandalizing and slandering Coach Jonah? It's one thing to get people talking, but it's quite another to provide physical evidence."

"And that, Brainiac, is stage two of our plan!"

Pulling out another folder, Timo closed the binder, setting the plastic, black folder down in front of the group. "I printed out some floor layouts of the school. I also found out that the security cameras have somehow malfunctioned when these incidents happened."

"And how did you figure that out?" Lukas asked.

Timo grinned. "It's not super hard to hack into the school's computer network and security system. Anyway, that's where this gets tricky… either we're dealing with a super genius…"

"Or the little rat isn't working alone," Erikur grumbled. "This is going to be interesting…"

Looking at his watch, Lukas rose to his feet. "I'm going to get to my first class. The bell's going to ring soon."

"Let's regroup at detention," Erikur insisted.

"Not lunch?"

Svea rolled her eyes, rising to her feet. "Listen, we aren't _friends_ , Väinämöinen. We're in this until we clear our names, remember?"

Svea pivoted on her heels, walking away. Mathilde rolled her eyes, turning to Timo as she grumbled, "I swear she's such a stuck-up little bitch! Thinking she's so much better than me because…!"

"Maybe if you weren't such a…" Erikur's thoughts trailed off as Mathilde shot him a glare.

"Such a what, Sporto?"

"Never mind."

Erikur walked inside the lunchroom and Lukas followed him. Timo turned to Mathilde, frowning as she crossed her arms. "Only until we clear our names," Timo repeated.

"You better hope it's soon. I don't think I want to associate myself with the princess, the jock, and the nerd any longer…"

 **x x x**

"Svea!"

Brushing a loose hair from her face, Svea turned towards to voice as she closed her locker. She blinked, lowering her gaze as Alfred Jones approached her. She held her breath.

Alfred was someone who kind of ran in her circle of friends. He was an amazing athlete, the toast of the town. He was the typical all-American Boy with bright blue eyes, blond hair, and a great body that made him a great point guard, quarterback, and so on.

Too bad his personality didn't match his good looks. Svea sighed, backing away from him.

"Woah, what's up? You've been avoiding me!"

She shrugged, "It's nothing." He frowned, stepping closer to her as she took a step back. "Nothing… important…"

"You're mad because of what I told some of the guys, aren't you?"

Svea stepped back again, trying to create as much space as possible. "Of course I am! Alfred, we're talking about my _reputation_ here!"

"And they're willing to keep their mouths shut, Svea!" he argued, but something seemed to be missing from his statement. Svea crossed her arms, waiting for him to add it. He sighed. "…I mean, for a price…"

"I set the prices, remember?" she whispered.

Alfred laughed and Svea rolled her eyes, trying to walk away. He reached out and grabbed her arm. "Svea, they'll pay whatever you say. Francis, Scotty, Sadik… that's all I told."

Svea frowned, but nodded in agreement. "Fine, whatever. Just… listen, I… kind of need to go."

"Can you leave your eighth hour class early? Come see me before detention by my car?"

Svea shook her head. Alfred frowned. "Come on, Svea! I promise you it'll be worth it…"

"Yeah, for you…"

"I know you have a car payment due, soon."

Svea clenched her fists, but gave a slight nod. "Fine, whatever," she repeated. "I'll meet you at your car."

Alfred smirked and walked away as Svea sighed loudly. She looked down the hall, and froze. Standing at his locker was Lukas, who had very obviously been eavesdropping. She fumed, but said nothing. She walked in his direction, but said nothing as Lukas closed the door to his locker.

"I thought you two broke up?"

"We're on a break." She didn't know what else to say. Lukas certainly wouldn't tell, if he had any inkling. He gathered his books and began to follow her. She turned to face him. "Uh, excuse me!"

"Calm down, we're in the same math class. You, me, and the psycho bitch from detention."

She blinked, but realized he was referring to Mathilde Densen. She turned red, realizing that she hadn't even noticed Lukas in her class before, let alone school in general. It was weird how she knew Erikur better than some of her own classmates, seeing as he was a year behind her.

"You know," Lukas began. She groaned, lowering her head as they reached the door for the math classroom. "Your attitude isn't going to help us get out of this any faster."

"You just called someone a psycho bitch!" she argued.

"Listen, you're not going to ask questions of your friends…" Lukas watched Svea jerk away as he reached out to place his hands on her shoulder.

"Why should I? I have respectable, great, nice…!"

"So what I witnessed wasn't just blackmail?" Lukas asked. Svea was speechless. "I don't know what was said, but I know I heard something that sounded like blackmail. Face it, Svea, your friends are as shallow as you."

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

Lukas shrugged. "I'm just saying, start working with us, or else, you're going to end up with the short end of the stick."

Lukas opened the door as the bell rang, leaving Svea speechless.


	9. Something Odd

_I may have forgotten to upload last Friday. It got lost between exams, papers, and traveling. May post another update sooner than Wednesday. We'll see._

 _ALSO HAVEN'T DONE NAMES SO HERE'S A REFRESHER OF ANYONE WHO HAS APPEARED OR BEEN MENTIONED LIKE... EVER..._

Mathilde Densen ~ Nyo!Denmark  
Svea Oxenstierna ~ Nyo!Sweden  
Timo Väinämöinen ~ Finland  
Lukas Thomassen ~ Norway  
Erikur Steilsson ~ Iceland  
Indre Laurinaitė ~ Nyo!Lithuania  
Traian Costin ~ Romania  
Raya Hristova ~ Nyo!Bulgaria  
Nichita Costin ~ Moldova  
Leon Wang ~ Hong Kong  
Mei Xiao ~ Taiwan  
Manuel Wang ~ Macau  
Afonso Silva de Vaz ~ Portugal  
Nichelle Breaux ~ Seychelles  
Jan van Dijk ~ Netherlands  
Jake Walters ~ Australia  
Kiet Sripuy ~ Thailand  
Elise Vogel ~ Liechtenstein

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Something Odd_

"Coach Jonah seemed to be pissed at Manny today."

Leon shrugged as he began to strip out of his gym clothes. Erikur adverted his gaze as he picked up his khakis from the floor. "Yeah, I guess. Manny says that Coach bullies him…"

"Wonder why…"

Erikur truly didn't care about the reason – Jonah was a temperamental man who just often felt like taking his anger out on anyone who just seemed to piss him off that day.

Erikur was suspicious of Manuel mostly because Leon's half-brother had never truly liked the gym teacher. Manny could hold a grudge and Leon had even said he was someone who would retaliate. Erikur also knew Manny wasn't a huge fan of him… for whatever reason…

"You free this weekend?" Leon asked. Erikur blinked, shaking his head as he began to put his pants back on. "Mei wants to have a double date with her and I and you and Elise."

"Uh, maybe…" Erikur bit his lip. "I mean, date though?"

"Well, I want it to be a date," Leon explained.

"But you and Mei can like, I don't know… _date_ any other time."

"Do you have the hots for someone else?" Leon asked. "I know you and Nichelle are really close."

"Chelle? Hell no! She's like my sister!"

Erikur laughed. Leon shrugged. "Elise really likes you, Eri. I thought you liked her?"

"It's just… I promised Nichi I'd go to a party with him and Nichelle already."

Erikur turned away, hoping Leon would take the bait and buy the lie. Erikur was going to ask at least Nichelle to come with him – but Nichita would probably tag along too. After what seemed like an eternity, Erikur turned around to see Leon applying deodorant.

"Sounds cool, whose party?"

"Uh, not sure. Nichi heard of it, so…"

The bell rang and Erikur looked over at Leon. Leon just shook his head, muttering, "I'll just tell Elise or something. Shame. We were all looking forward to it."

"I can't help I already made plans," Erikur hissed, taking his phone out of his pocket and texting Nichita and Nichelle quickly, just to make sure he had his cover story set.

Two seconds later, Nichi replied saying he had already heard of the party and was planning on going, which made Erikur breath a sigh of relief.

 **x x x**

"So, you're going to the party this weekend?"

Lukas had oddly become talkative since this whole 'teamwork' idea and Erikur wasn't sure he enjoyed that. The question was directed towards him and Svea. Erikur nodded, but Svea shook her head.

"I have other plans."

"Yeah, plans on being a stuck-up little bitch."

"Mathilde," Timo sighed. Lukas looked over at Erikur.

"You need a ride? I don't drink…"

"Y-yeah… do you mind taking my other friends with us? I mean… I don't… normally…" Mathilde began to giggle and everyone turned to her. "What?"

"I think it's really cute how embarrassed you are about the drinking thing. I can name seven people who come to Jake's parties and don't drink at all." Mathilde smirked at Erikur.

"Wait, Thilde, are you going now?" Timo asked.

"Now?"

Mathilde frowned. "Yeah, well… bad news, guys. My wicked stepmom and dad are fighting about me. So, basically, I can't do anything outside of school until I bring my math grades up… it's so annoying. I mean…"

"Okay," Svea held up her hands. "Enough."

"Sorry, I forgot," Mathilde sneered. "My problems aren't big enough for you to care about."

"Well, we all know your practically flunking out of school. It's not a secret."

Mathilde fumed, but said nothing. It was true. Mathilde's grades had been on a steady decline since freshman year. Mathilde was annoyed Svea even said anything, but in the end, she was right. Mathilde clenched her hands. She hated how suddenly Svea had made her feel insignificant.

"Have you thought about getting a tutor?" Erikur offered. "I mean, they can be pricey, but we kind of need your insight for your circle of friends…"

Mathilde wanted to laugh when he mentioned price. However, before she could, Lukas interjected with, "I'll help. I'll even do it for free." Mathilde turned to him, eyes wide. He shrugged. "Consider this my act of charity. It looks really good on college applications."

Mathilde blinked. This kid actually thought she was a charity case. She debated on punching him, but held back. She knew that he was going to be the least annoying tutor she could find as of now. "When do you want to start?"

"Today, if that's fine."

"We can stay in the library after detention and work then."

Lukas nodded, looking over at the clock. The group grew silent before Timo cleared his throat. "Okay, so, I was doing some digging… and did you know Traian Costin's girlfriend is a genius computer hacker?"

"Raya Hristova? Yeah, I paid her money to change my report card sophomore year." Mathilde chuckled. "And then they found out I forged it and that was a great two weeks of suspension."

Svea was taken aback but shook her head. "Had gym with Raya too. She had major anger issues, got detention daily and ruined her chances at honor roll because she did so poorly. Grades are important to her."

Lukas nodded. "Actually, uh… Traian… I hang out with him…"

Everyone turned to Lukas, their eyes wide. "You… have friends?" Erikur forced out.

"Glad I wasn't the only one thinking it…" Mathilde whispered to Timo. Lukas rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Traian, Arthur and I all usually hang out. Sometimes Raya tags along and sometimes Indre joins us. I actually live next door to Indre."

"It's just… I never see you… hang out with anyone during school?" Svea said, although it was poised more like a question. Lukas shook his head.

"You think because I'm a nerd, because I actually care about my studies, that I'm a loner with no friends. That I'm actually a nobody. That just because you don't notice me means others don't, either."

Lukas snorted, turning his body towards Svea. "And you think that people like me and my friends actually worship you? You expect me to look at you and look at Erikur and go, 'Wow, I wish I was popular. Using my brain for hurtful pranks instead of preparing for the rest of my life. I may not be able to get into college, but at least I was homecoming king!'"

Lukas shook his head. "Give me a fucking break. When all is said and done, in ten years, you're going to be miserable in marriage with two kids and a hundred pounds heavier than you are now."

"I don't know what I did…!"

"You expected me to grovel at your feet!" Lukas retorted. Erikur placed a hand on Svea's shoulder. "But I won't. We don't admire you. Us nerds, geeks, whatever you wanna call us… we don't want to be you. We, in fact, hate you preppy little jocks and you whiny, 'Use Daddy's Card to Buy Whatever' little bitches."

"Lukas, that's enough."

Mathilde knew she hadn't been quite friendly towards Svea, but judging by the looks of the longhaired blonde, she was about to start bawling. While Mathilde agreed, she felt Lukas perhaps was too blunt in explaining his position.

"Guys, focus. Remember, we're a team, not a self-destructing machine!"

Timo gave a thumbs up and Svea wiped the corners of her eyes. She forced a smile. "I guess you're right." Timo's smile grew bigger. "Anything else we need to know?"

"Manuel Wang," Erikur said. "He's in your class… very studious, but plays a few sports. Manny is Leon's, my best friend's, half-brother. Seems to me there's a lot of tension between them in my gym class."

"Tension, huh?" Timo tapped his chin. He reached down for his bag, removing the big binder as he began to sort through the tabs. "So, Manuel… let's see…plays on the basketball team, was on the soccer team but was kicked off…"

Erikur nodded. "Never knew why. I can look into it… I'm friends with Antonio." Everyone nodded and Timo smiled. Lukas looked over at Svea, but said nothing. Timo opened his mouth to speak, but Mr. Willie exited the office, glaring at him as he approached the group.

"Time's up. Go home. I'll see you all tomorrow. It's been a few days since someone destroyed the gym… I hope whoever is doing this is learning their lesson."

Svea grabbed her bag and ran out of the library quickly. Erikur frowned, running after her as Timo looked over his shoulder as he slowly put his binder away. "Timo," Lukas began, stepping forward. "I need to ask you a favor."

His voice was low and he grabbed his arm, leading him away from Mathilde. Timo blinked. "Yeah?"

"I caught Alfred Jones acting weird in the hallway with Svea today," Lukas muttered. "He's blackmailing her. I don't know for what or anything, but I know it's happening…"

Timo blinked. Lukas frowned, looking back at Mathilde quickly. "You should keep an eye on Svea and him. She's suspicious of me and I feel Mathilde would just upset her…"

"What about Erikur?"

Lukas shook his head. "He's her ally, first and foremost. Even if he's eager to work with us, he'd sell us out. We may be a team, but we aren't like Erikur and Svea…"

Timo nodded, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "You got it, dude! Bye Thilde!" He waved towards Mathilde, who began to unpack her math book as she lazily waved back to him. Lukas turned to face Mathilde and she smirked.

"Hope you enjoy working with stubborn girls, Lu."

"I don't enjoy working with idiots," he replied, rolling his eyes and taking a seat across from her.


	10. Bonding

i'm a bit too buzzed to really comment on this chapter. i wish i could apologize for being a filler loving hoe but i can't.

 _Anya Braginskaya ~ Nyo!Russia  
_ _Monika Beilschmidt ~ Nyo!Germany_

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Bonding_

Timo had started working hard to keep tabs on Svea. That morning, he leaned against her locker. He had opted to not meet in the morning, because he felt it wouldn't be beneficial, but he showed up early enough to surprise the tall female at her locker.

Svea approached him with three other girls in tow. She adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and Timo knew she saw him. He winked and she paled. Obviously, she wasn't expecting him to be at her locker. Once the group of girls reached it, Timo realized that the only one of Svea's friends who was not as tall as him was a small, dirty blonde girl he knew was not a junior.

"I thought I would surprise you, babe."

The platinum blonde on her right giggled. He knew her – Anya Braginskaya. "You didn't tell me you were into bad boys, Svea."

Svea huffed, crossing her arms. "Move."

"Come on, Princess, you know me better than that. I require a please."

"I said move," she repeated. "I don't have time for this. I need to get my books."

"Not even a kiss for me?" Timo asked, giving her a small little pout. "Please?"

A short blonde haired girl groaned, stepping forward to push him away from Svea's locker. "Thank you, Monika," Svea said. Timo bit his lip, a little frustrated that these four girls thought they were above him. Anya looked over at him and smiled.

"I think you're being mean to him, Svea!" she scolded, half-heartedly. "After all, you do see him more than me."

Svea rolled her eyes. "He's a nobody… in five years, you won't even remember his name."

Timo frowned. "Thanks, Princess, but you're not getting rid of me that easily."

Svea locked eyes with Timo. His smile returned. _Oh, it is so on._

 **x x x**

"Wait, Mathilde Densen?" Indre laughed, watching Lukas slowly chew the sandwich. "Wow, how's that?"

"Just started," Lukas admitted. "I mean, she's not… smart…" Lukas didn't know if that was the word, but he was certain this girl could not have gotten better than a D in any of her classes. She just… was an idiot, plain and simple.

Indre laughed, shaking her head. "You're such a saint," she joked. "Saint Lukas Thomassen. Has a very nice ring to it," she added, putting a forkful of pasta salad into her mouth.

Traian collapsed into the seat next to Indre, smirking at the two. Arthur set down his sack lunch, and Lukas turned to Traian. "Where's Raya?" Lukas asked the strawberry blond.

"She's busy…" Traian seemed to trail off, his gaze lowering. Lukas turned back to his tray, immediately sensing Traian's unease.

"Busy how?"

"Homework or something," Traian snapped. Indre snapped her fingers.

"That reminds me, I have a writing assignment due in two periods. I need to go work! See you guys!"

Indre stood up and Traian mellowed out. Once the girl was out of earshot, Traian turned to Lukas. "You going to ask her out?"

"What?" Lukas deadpanned. Dating wasn't his thing. Relationships weren't his thing. In fact, it was the farthest thing from 'his thing' that one could find. He shook his head. "You're crazy, Dre and I are friends. We've been neighbors forever."

"She so likes you!" Traian exclaimed. "Raya and I can arrange a double date…" Arthur collapsed next to Lukas, rolling his eyes.

"That sounds good. Have Feliks Łukasiewicz out for blood. We all know Lukas can't defend himself in a fight, and even if it is just Feliks, he's got a temper and is out for blood already."

"I didn't _do_ anything."

"Doesn't matter," Arthur informed. Lukas sighed loudly. "He's already pissed because she hangs out with you now, anyway. The fact she looks at you like some lovesick ten-year-old just makes it all the worst.."

"Well, I'm not getting involved…" Lukas stood up. "Feliks should just apologize and ask her out, if that's how he feels. I'm not adjusting my friendships unless someone does something that directly affects me."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

Lukas turned to Traian. "It means if I find out someone is fucking me over, you'll really see whether or not I can hold my own in a fight."

 **x x x**

"He was cute, Svea."

Mathilde huffed. She despised her math class. She sat in front Svea and a group of her friends. She looked to her left, seeing Lukas sitting quietly taking notes as the teacher droned on. Svea tapped her pencil against her desk.

"Who was?" she asked her friend – whom Mathilde was pretty sure was Anya Braginskaya.

"The boy from earlier," Anya whispered through a giggle. "He's in our class?"

"He's a nobody, Anya."

Mathilde's blood boiled, although there was an absence of malice in her voice. She stopped carrying about logarithms and the likes, leaning back as if the few inches between the front of the desk and back of the chair made a difference.

"He was so cute," Anya restated. "I mean, I bet someone like him has a tattoo… aren't tattoos just… ugh!"

"Anya," Svea warned.

"Svea, come on, let me live a little. What did you say his name was? Timo?"

Mathilde was so glad her back was towards them. She easily could hide her shit-eating grin. Lukas' eyes shifted towards Mathilde as Svea groaned loudly. "Anya, for the last time. Timo Väinämöinen will be a nobody until he dies. He'll probably be in prison in five years, with the shit he pulls…"

"You are a bitch!"

The room grew silent. Mathilde jumped at hearing Lukas speak so loudly in class. "Take your annoying gossip and leave the damn class! Some of us aren't going to try and be a gold digger to get by in life."

"Lukas Thomassen, to the office now!"

Lukas gathered his things and stood up, stomping out of the classroom. Mathilde rose to her feet, but the teacher turned to her. "Where are you going, Miss Densen?"

"Eat my ass?" she offered, smiling sheepishly as the teacher began to scream at her.

 **x x x**

"You certainly don't like Svea."

Lukas rubbed his temples with his hands. The two had been removed from school the rest of day and got to spend time in the 'Suspension Closet.' Mathilde laughed at the small room with two desks in the center, chattering besides Lukas as he huffed. "I bet your parents are really gonna hate this."

"Parent…"

Mathilde was taken aback. She had always assumed Lukas had both of his parents. In fact, she assumed Lukas just had a decent family life. As far as she knew, she was supposedly the only one with separated parents, but now, she wasn't so sure. "Mom or dad?"

"Mom."

"I have my dad and my stepmom…" She felt weird saying that to Lukas. He seemed to be pretty judgmental, based on the five or six days they had been force to spend together. But in reality, she didn't really have them, just Rosie.

And she knew if she told him about Rosie, he would immediately treat her the way he treated Svea.

"You don't sound so sure."

"Well… it's just…" Mathilde hesitated. "My stepmom hates me and my dad ignores me. The only time he pays me any mind is when my stepmom uses me against him… kind of like blackmail. She's always like 'if your daughter doesn't do this, I'm leaving.' So. Annoying."

Really, she hadn't even told Jan, one of her best friends, this. Lukas rested his chin in the palm of his hands, turning towards her in amusement. "What happened to your mother?"

"She died when I was little, I don't remember her very well," she responded. Lukas' faint smirk faltered. "What happened to your dad?"

Lukas looked away and huffed. He began to examine his nails and his stomach dropped. He didn't know what had happened, but that was a result of not knowing who your father is. He just shrugged his shoulders, hoping Mathilde would leave it be.

"Yeah, Kiet's dad left his mom too. Something about how he didn't want to raise a gay son or something… well he was an asshole…"

"I can assure you that's not why my dad left my mom." More like his mom had slept with so many different guys she left them all instead of figuring out who was his dad…

Mathilde did not reply and Lukas leaned back in his chair. They sat in awkward silence for what seemed like an eternity, until the final bell rang.


	11. Misunderstanding

Svea struggles with life, Timo thinks she's spoiled... and uh, shit happens, also there's evidence mounting against Fonsy and Manny.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Misunderstanding_

Svea's blood was boiling.

How _dare_ that little nerd call her a bitch!

"Woah, Svea… your nails seem to be digging in too hard…"

Svea blinked as she locked eyes with Alfred. She exhaled and removed herself from his lap, soothing out her skirt and picking her panties off from the floor. "Sorry, just… mad, is all…"

"Mad at what?"

"Some stupid nerd called me a bitch… he doesn't even know me!"

Alfred frowned, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hey, listen… don't let some greasy little nobody get you down." Svea huffed, rolling her eyes. "Svea, listen, we dated for a few months and I can tell you that I know you aren't a bitch. Just seeing how far you're willing to go to help your dad make ends meet…"

Alfred chuckled and Svea's stomach dropped. "Not many girls would turn to teenage prostitution to help pay the bills…"

Svea's stomach started to do flips and tie itself into knots. She felt her mouth go dry and she was speechless. She reached for her phone, checking the time. She unlocked the door and opened it. "Hey, we aren't done!"

"I have detention!"

She slammed the door shut and began to walk to the back of the school. She tried to adjust her clothing and fix her hair as she strolled up to the heavy doors, reaching forward to pull it open.

"What're you doing out of class, Princess?"

"Are you following me?" Turning on her heels, she saw Timo sitting there on top of a garbage can. She inhaled sharply as Timo smiled, flicking his cigarette on the ground. "You know, that'll kill you."

"And skipping class prevents you from getting an education," Timo replied.

"You would be the expert on that…"

Timo chuckled. "I like you. You have a bit of bite to you." Svea crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Hell, I'd date you if you and Jones weren't all over each other." She gagged, shaking her head.

"First off, as if I would ever date you," Svea sneered. "And second, we aren't. In fact, if you must know, he has eyes for someone else."

"You two spend an awful lot of time together."

Svea swore by the end of this day, she was going to be sick. There was no way Timo Väinämöinen could have any idea what she was doing. "We run in the same group." She tried to stay calm, keeping him from asking more questions. "And yeah, we did date, but you know Coach Jonah broke us up…"

Timo tapped his chin. Obviously, Svea was acting suspicious, but Timo wasn't sure if it was because she _knew_ something or it was because she was _doing_ something. "You're coming with me after detention, Princess."

Before she could protest, the bell rang. She watched Timo slide off the garbage can, throw his cigarette to the ground, and smirk as he walked away from her.

 **x x x**

"I feel like I haven't learned anything."

Mathilde rubbed her temples as Svea looked over at her and Lukas. Lukas shrugged, looking back at Svea and narrowing his eyes. "You'll get it. Just use your head." Svea debated making a smartass remark, but decided not to test the waters with Lukas.

Timo knocked on the table, a wide smile on his face. "My hacker got some information on Manuel Wang." Erikur leaned forward. "So, apparently, Manny and Afonso… they're a thing… or were a thing."

"A thing?" Lukas deadpanned.

"They're fucking. Wanna see the messages?"

Erikur's jaw dropped. "You have their sexts?" Timo shrugged, as if it was a totally normally thing to have access to. Erikur shook his head, sighing loudly. "Okay, so… what does this have to do with…?"

"Approximately two months ago, in some messages that weren't X-rated in nature, Afonso says to Manuel, 'I don't know what to do, babe. Dad says I need to focus on scholarships and that if we don't break up he's going to ruin you.' And Manuel responds with, 'He can try all he wants we can do what we want.' Afonso replies, 'I'm going to lose my starting job.' Manuel sends a bunch of question marks.

Then Afonso replies with 'Dad told Jonah. Babe, I'm gonna get booted from the team and lose the scholarship money I need.' Manny says, 'No way. Can you come over?' And Afonso sends the letters O, M, and W."

"So dramatic," Mathilde cooed. "It's like watching some shitty teen soap about football… but it's actually happening!" Mathilde and Lukas chuckled and Erikur's jaw dropped.

"I remember that! Coach was pissed at Afonso…!"

"Because they thought Manuel was distracting him from sports…" Timo tapped his chin. "Never liked Jonah, starting to think he deserves this shit. Maybe we can join in with the vandal, huh, Princess?"

Svea shook her head. "Would like to graduate within the next year, thanks, but no thanks."

"Anyway, maybe these star-crossed lovers decided to get back at the man who ended their relationship," Timo explained.

"Oh boy. If this turns into _Romeo and Juliet_ , I'm so not playing Tybalt," Mathilde whined. "Or Mercutio. I just don't want to be a character who dies." Lukas slapped his forehead. "What?"

"Idiot!"

"Hey! It's a valid point!"

"I'm going over there later tonight, I'll see what I can find out."

"We should start a group chat."

Everyone turned to Svea, who just shrugged her shoulders. "It'd be easier than sending four individual texts. I'm surprise we haven't done it sooner. Does everybody have this app that can let you create group chats?"

They worked in silence setting up their accounts, then once they had added each other, Mr. Willie came in. "I'm shocked to see you all getting along… which is cute. Because maybe it's all of you working together… you're dismissed."

Erikur bolted to the door, maybe to go meet up with Leon. Svea and Timo exchanged looks, before they both filed out at around similar times.

Mathilde looked over at Lukas, who had reached into her bag for her math book. "Lukas," she began, her tone serious. He looked up, humming in response. "I am going to send so many fucking memes to this group chat…" Lukas was left speechless at the statement.

"…let's just get this study session over with."

 **x x x**

"Where are we going?"

Svea crossed her arms as Timo pulled into the parking lot, parking haphazardly. He cackled, throwing the truck in park as he turned to her, unbuckling his seatbelt. "A senior care facility?"

"Come on, Princess."

Timo opened the door and exited the truck. Svea huffed, unbuckling her seatbelt and following Timo's prior actions. She slammed her door shut, walking up to the two front doors. Timo reached forward, pulling it open. "Ladies first," he said, bowing gracefully. "Your Royal Highness."

Svea rolled her eyes, but muttered a quick, "Thanks." She entered the room and the receptionist looked up. Svea recognized the female. She was Anya's older sister, Mariya. "Timo! You're here! And… oh… you're with Svea?"

Mariya bit her lip, brushing a stray strand of blonde hair and tucking it behind her ears.

"Don't call the tabloids, I'm just giving Princess here a reality check."

"A what?" Svea asked as Timo grabbed her hand, leading her down the hall. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked again. He shushed her.

"Listen, I just think maybe if you gave back to the community once in a while, you would slowly start to remove the stick up your ass." She huffed as he entered an access code. "This is the Alzheimer's ward I volunteer on every night."

"Why'd you bring me here?"

Timo smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe if you work with those less fortunate…"

Svea's blood began to boil. "Oh… I don't know about being less fortunate, apparently?" Timo stepped back. "You know, I think it's really fucking cute how you just assume you know me."

"I think it's really fucking cute you're still acting like a stuck up bitch." Timo clenched his fists tightly, shaking his head. "You know, all I want to do is help you guys! I don't have to. Hell, especially with how you and your friends treat me and my friends…!"

"You just aren't listening!" Svea screamed.

"Keep your voice down!"

"Lovers' feud."

The two teenagers looked over at a woman who was walking over to the fish tank near where they stood. "A lovers' feud," she repeated. Svea looked over at Timo, who stepped forward

"Okay, Miss Lucy, let's get you back to a table. It's bingo night!" he said, taking the elderly woman's hand. Lucy muttered something that Svea could not hear. She crossed her arms, looking down at the ground.

This was going to be a long night.

 **x x x**

"Out with Anya?"

Svea shrugged, looking over at her father as he took a small bite of pasta that was on his plate. She compared their plates. "Dad, you should eat more. Have some of mine."

"You need it more than I do, Svea."

"I'm not necessarily hungry…"

Her father frowned. "Is something wrong, sweetie?"

In reality, there were so many things wrong. She wanted to curl up and cry and tell him everything and have him tell her it'd be okay and he'd fix it. But if he knew who she really was – a shallow, mean, rude, bitchy little whore – he would be so disappointed. She simply said, "Tired. Had a falling out with someone, but…"

She paused. "Am I shallow?"

"You? Shallow?" Her dad laughed. "Honey, your mother would be so proud of you. I am so proud of you. You work, you do well in school… it's incredible. I think you have such a big heart, and a kind demeanor…"

"You're suppose to say that…" She sighed loudly. "But thanks. I know you really mean it."

"Did you and Anya have a fight?"

"Just another kid and I did, he…" She sighed. "His opinion doesn't matter. He doesn't know me…" Her dad nodded. "I'm full, Dad. I'm going to work on some homework…"

Her father nodded and she stood up, leaving her plate on the table. She turned her back and wiped her eyes as she knew her father still wouldn't touch the food on her plate because he would give up everything for her. It hurt because she knew she would be depositing cash into his savings account just for a bit of extra cash for her father.

Maybe he was right, she was kind and caring, but it hurt that people just didn't see what he saw in her.


	12. Erikur's Dilemma

Erikur is in the closet. Also, his parents hate him.

CW for abusive situations.

This wasn't up Wednesday because I had a huge paper due and a mock trial to prepare for.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Erikur's Dilemma_

"So, uh, I have a really weird question…"

Erikur gulped, looking down at the menu before him. Leon was skimming his, before he finally looked up at Erikur. "Oh Jesus…"

"I just… has Manny, I don't know, been acting odd to you? Or maybe he's sneaking around or staying after school when he doesn't need to…"

Leon snorted, replying with, "That _is_ a really weird question." Erikur forced a chuckle and Leon tapped his chin. "Well, I guess now that you ask… he has been a little off. He's playing angsty breakup music and he's really upset. I think one of his crushes got a girlfriend or something."

Erikur wasn't surprise Leon didn't know about Afonso. Manuel kept his affairs to himself. Manuel was a private person, and Afonso seemed like that too. "Why do you ask?" Erikur shrugged.

"Just… got a vibe. But… he hasn't stayed late at school or gone out at all like… randomly?" Leon ponders and shrugs.

"Maybe, but it's Manny. Doesn't tell me anything."

Erikur nodded, making note of that. He was going to keep asking questions when a voice interrupted them. "Sorry for the wait! I'm Kiet, I'll be your server… can I start you guys off with a couple of drinks?"

Erikur's heart stopped beating. He looked over at Leon, who had flipped back to the drink section. "I think I'll just have a water for now," Leon replied, looking up at Erikur with a smirk. He rolled his eyes and mouthed something.

"And you?"

Erikur looked up and inhaled. He locked eyes with Kiet, before breaking their gaze to examine the male. His stomach began to twist and turn as Erikur shamelessly began to realize he was checking out the senior.

It was weird, considering that not even two months prior he was antagonizing Kiet Sripuy, but Erikur wasn't blind, and Kiet wasn't ugly, and quite frankly, Erikur would be lying if the thought of dating another guy had crossed his mind multiple times. It just happened Kiet was there and attractive and single. This issue with that is how he was raised, how he presented himself, and he's starting to realize he is the issue…

He lowered his gaze, snapping back to reality. "Lemonade is fine."

"I'll be right back with those drinks."

Erikur glanced up as Kiet turned. _Nice ass_ , he thought. He mentally slapped himself. "I didn't know that nerd worked here."

Erikur shrugged at Leon. "I think he works like, five jobs…"

"Because he thinks he's going to get into college." Erikur just shrugged and Leon sighed loudly. "Did you know Manny used to have a crush on him?"

"Manny?" Erikur asked.

"Yeah. They talked constantly. This is why Manny won't tell me anything. Freshman year for us they were like, super close and like about to date, so… I feel bad, but I didn't want Manny dating him…"

Erikur blinked.

"So I told everyone that Kiet was a massive whore. I got a ton of people in on it, ruined his reputation and relationship with Manny. Manny still hasn't really forgiven me."

Erikur coughed. He almost wanted to tell Leon he wouldn't have either, but he knew Leon was doing it because he cared, in his own twisted way. Kiet didn't run with the right people, didn't seem to do well in school, and wasn't someone Leon would want his brother dating.

"I mean… I don't think that's _right_."

Leon blinked. "Okay, well… don't sit there and act like you're morally better than me," Leon snapped. "Need I remind you how you got the kid thrown out and gave an extremely homophobic speech?"

"I told you I didn't write that up! It so wasn't…!"

"I'm just saying…"

Erikur opened his mouth to protest when a large glass of lemonade was set in front of him. Kiet offered a forced smile, looking between the two. Erikur hummed in thought, his eyes drifting to the older boy's arms as he clicked his pen.

"Are you two ready to order?"

Erikur didn't even register he was being spoken to until Leon started rambling off his order. Erikur panicked, having not really paid the menu any mind. He opened it, trying to find the most appealing meal before Leon finished.

"And that should be it," Leon said moments after he laid eyes on some kind of chicken melt sandwich. Erikur looked up, offering a sheepish smile as he gave his order. Kiet wrote it down.

"And for your side?"

" _You_ … know what… I don't need one… not particularly starved…"

Erikur slapped himself. He truly needed a better filter. Kiet didn't catch on to his brief mistake and nodded. "I'll go put your order in." Kiet walked away and Leon scoffed. Erikur tuned out the sentence that followed.

His mouth went dry, realizing just how in the closet he was.

 **x x x**

"So, Manny is being an angsty teenager going through a breakup… and it seems like he's sneaking around?

"I didn't know he had a thing for Kiet, either."

"Yeah, you've mentioned that like, twice." Lukas huffed, crossing his arms as he turned to Timo. "What did you find out about…?"

"Svea Oxenstierna is hiding something… and Alfred Jones is so involved somehow," Timo stated, looking over his shoulder. The three boys had met before school, all sitting in the bed of Timo's truck as they discussed. "So, Manuel and Alfred are cause for concern…"

"And Jan Van Dijk," Lukas added. "When I was tutoring Mathilde he was pacing the school. He had a giant bag filled with _something_ , but we didn't know what…"

"A lot of our suspects will be at the party on Friday," Timo added. "We'll get through them then. The only issue is… well, besides Nichita Costin, Erikur and Svea's friends won't be there…"

"I mean… not truly an issue. We're all waiting for all of us to turn on each other, anyway."

Lukas looked up as Erikur sighed. "It's part of the reason I haven't come out to my friends. I mean, they wouldn't care – well, Elise would be crushed but not malicious – but it's also like… it's just another thing they can use against me."

"No offense, your friends sound like assholes," Timo sneered.

Erikur shrugged. "Leon and Nichi and Raivis and I… we get along great, but since Leon and I run with a more shallow group…"

"I feel bad, I misjudged you, Erikur," Timo admitted. Lukas shrugged.

"I don't. You're just as shallow. I mean… would you even dare to sit with us at lunch?" Erikur blinked, but looked away. He shook his head, knowing exactly what Lukas was getting at. Lukas rolled his eyes.

"Okay, but what would your friends say if they saw you hanging out with me?" Timo asked. "Hell, what if you and Mathilde started dating…!"

"My friends would not be as disgustingly shallow," Lukas snapped. "Neither of you _know_ me or my friends, so I suggest you keep your mouths shut."

Lukas stood up and jumped from the back of the truck, stomping away as the other two looked on in shocked.

 **x x x**

Erikur looked up at his friends as the group made idle conversation at their lunch table. "What's wrong, Eri?" Mei Xiao, Leon's pretty, long brown haired girlfriend, asked, pointing to his tray. "You've hardly touched your food at all."

Erikur looked down, but shrugged it off. "I guess I'm not hungry…" he muttered, pushing his tray to the side. Nichita reached over, taking his roll and Erikur just shrugged.

"Are you still upset because you're being blamed for something Timo Väinämöinen did?"

Nichelle's comment made his stomach drop. "No, no… besides, it might not even be him…" Everyone began to laugh as Erikur just shrugged. "I'm not… I just have a lot on my mind right now…"

"You know you can tell us, right, Eri?" Elise said. Erikur turned to face her. Her big, green eyes were sparkling as she looked up at him. He sighed, feeling guilty for the fact he did not return these obvious feelings, but he knew that he was not to blame and that Elise would understand, in the end.

"I know, its just… stress right now…"

Everyone nodded and left it at that, returning to their lunches as Erikur pondered what he should do now.

 **x x x**

Erikur inhaled sharply as he pushed the door open, his mother standing in front of him with her arms crossed. "Uh, hi…"

"You skipped your last class? And then now you're benched for the game this weekend?"

Erikur sighed loudly. He had skipped his last class to hang out with Timo and Mathilde, just to see if Mathilde had any information on her group of friends. "I'm benched because I still am in detention."

He stepped forward and tried to walk past her, but his mother dropped the dishrag in her hand, raising her hand and slapping him as hard as she could across his face. "You're so fucking useless!"

"Thanks, Mom," Erikur spat. A door slammed loudly and heavy feet echoed down the hall. His father appeared, cracking his knuckles as Erikur shook his head. "Mom already lectured me…"

"Don't talk back to your father like that!" his mother screamed, picking up a vase and throwing it at Erikur. The vase hit him in the chest, falling to the floor and shattering. Erikur flinched and reached down to pick up the pieces.

He felt his body slammed back into the wall. "Apologize!" his mother shouted.

"I'm sorry… I… it won't happen again."

His father snorted, muttering, "You're damn right." He picked up a piece of glass, dragging it down Erikur's arm before he dropped it on the floor. Erikur looked at the long gash. "Clean it up then go to your room. I'm sick of looking at your disgusting face."

Erikur watched his parents walk away. He wish he could say he was shocked by the sudden outburst, but this was far too common in this house. He brushed his fingers up against the cut.

He knew he couldn't stay in this house any longer. The problem was how was he going to get out?


	13. Revelations

I should get back on schedule after today. Halloweekend kicked my ass, and my best friend came to visit from Texas. So, I was a bit distracted yesterday. Wednesday may also be shaky this week, due to the fact I have an appointment for my second tattoo. But, I'm trying. Plus, THE GOOD SHIT IS COMING. Trust me, guys, trust me.

In which, Mathilde is kind of bad at math and Lukas is kind of salty about Mathilde's financial situation.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Revelations_

"Okay, so… X equals negative B…"

"That's not the formula we just went over."

Mathilde crossed her arms and pouted like a small child. Detention had been over an hour ago, but Mathilde was still stuck in the library with Lukas. After a few days of tutoring, Mathilde felt like she was doomed to be stupid. "It's the only one I remember because it came with a song!"

Lukas rolled his eyes, muttering some half-hearted insult as Mathilde sighed loudly. "I just don't think I can do well in school… I mean, for me, it's really hard to focus and the school feels like a prison." Lukas snapped his fingers, standing up.

"Then we can just study outside of school." Lukas started to pack up his bag. "I'm sure you'd do better in your house."

Mathilde blinked, before violently shaking her hands, trying to get Lukas to sit back down. "Uh, no! I mean… I feel like this is more convenient for both of us… I mean, it's not…"

"Mathilde, do you want to pass math?"

She did, but she didn't want to go to his house. "Can we go to your place?"

Lukas frowned. "We can't," he simply said. "My mom… she… she doesn't like people coming over during this time." Because she was too hungover to function, probably, but he didn't say that part out loud.

The door flew open and Mathilde jumped up. In the doorway, a spiky haired blond blinked, his jaw dropping. "Oh, uh… didn't think anyone was here." Mathilde sighed in relief. "Thilde?"

"I'm getting tutored, what are you doing, Janny?" Mathilde asked the male. Lukas huffed, rolling his eyes as Jan adjusted the large duffle bag strap that was on his shoulder. He strolled up to the table before adverting his gaze.

"Just… hanging out…"

"What's in the bag?"

Jan turned to Lukas and growled. "None of your fucking business, nerd."

"He's cool, he's cool," Mathilde insisted, placing a hand on Jan's chest. She looked over at the black bag, before shrugging. "It's not a big deal. He's just curious, is all." Jan shot her a glare, before sending one back to Lukas. Lukas crossed his arms, refusing to look away as Jan turned his back.

"Tell your little tutor that if he keeps asking questions, I won't hold an ass kicking back just because you say I should."

Jan began to walk away. Mathilde sighed loudly, turning to Lukas and offering an apologetic smile. Lukas crossed his arms. "He seems to be ready to destroy a gym."

"That's not it! It's…!"

Mathilde cut herself off. Lukas tapped his foot. She shook her head, whispering, "Okay fine, we can go to my house." She wrote down her address on the corner of a piece of paper in her notebook, ripping it out and handing it to Lukas. Lukas blinked and Mathilde shoved her books and notes into her bag.

"See you in five," Mathilde said.

 **x x x**

Lukas sat in the driveway for ten minutes. He was still in awe by the size of Mathilde's house. He assumed she wasn't any better off than him, but he was surprised by how wrong he was. It didn't help Mathilde's wardrobe looked straight out of a thrift shop.

"Why in the hell would she hide this?"

Lukas got out of his car and grabbed his book bag. He slammed the door, walking up to the front door. He sighed, ringing the doorbell. The door clicked open and a black haired female opened the door, dressed in a black dress. "Ah, you must be the boy Mathilde was expecting!"

Lukas blinked as the woman opened the door more. "I'm Rosie, the family's house keeper. I'll go get Mathilde."

Lukas stepped inside, removing his shoes as Rosie walked over to the stairs. "Mathilde! Thilde, sweetie! Your tutor is here!"

Lukas heard the sound of feet scattering across the floor above his head. Within seconds, Mathilde came flying down the stairs, dressed in an old, beat-up hockey jersey. She looked down, trying to avoud his gaze. "Thanks, Rosie."

"Will he be staying for dinner, Mathilde?"

"I won't," Lukas jumped in. Mathilde just shrugged, motioning to Lukas to reinforce what he said. She began to walk back up the stairs, Lukas in tow. He looked over his shoulder, waiting until Rosie was out of sight.

"Unbelievable."

Mathilde turned to him, frowning as she opened the door to her room. He crossed his arms and stepped inside, examining the large bedroom before him. Lukas mused about how the size of this one room was basically the size of his kitchen and living room put together… probably was half the size of his entire house.

"Okay, fine," she finally said. "My dad owns some hot shot company and I'm rich."

"Obviously." Mathilde rolled her eyes and Lukas crossed his arms. "It just blows my mind you… you're so ungrateful!"

Mathilde clenched her fists, mumbling, "Ungrateful?" Lukas nodded, dropping his book bag on the floor as he knelt down, grabbing his own textbook from his bag. Mathilde shook her head.

"I'm not ungrateful, just… disconnected. Discontent?"

"You walk around talking shit on people who are well-off," Lukas pointed out. His thought didn't have anything to do with the previous comment he had made, but he didn't care. His blood was boiling. Here was a girl who wanted to act like being broke and poor was edgy and cool and he was just barely scrapping by.

"Because I hate those people!" she responded.

"You are 'those people,' you fucking hypocrite!" Lukas shouted. "You have no idea what people like me go through!"

Mathilde was taken aback. Her expression softened, her gaze dropped to the floor and then she inhaled, and then exhaled, as slowly as humanly possible. She opened her mouth, but Lukas was fuming. "We haven't had power for three days because we can barely scrape up enough cash for the electricity bill! We have barely any food, our house is a mess… and whatever money we do have goes straight to the bars!"

"Lukas, I…"

Lukas watched Mathilde's eyes slowly rise up to meet his. "Does your mom ignore you?"

Lukas wasn't expecting the question. It was completely off topic and Lukas just didn't know how to respond. Mathilde had mentioned her own parental struggles. He thought about his relationship with his mom… or really, the lack thereof. "…in a way, yes."

Mathilde nodded, but said nothing else. There was no apology, which somewhat got on Lukas' nerves because he knew tomorrow she was going to go to school and act like she was on her own against the world when he didn't have the money to pay for a school lunch and she probably didn't even have to worry about that. She grabbed her back, pulling out her own textbook.

"Sometimes, my dad just kind of ignores me," Mathilde said. Lukas rolled his eyes. She had mentioned it before, but he wasn't sure if he could even find truth in that statement. "My dad… he assumes he can parent by giving me cash, which I blow on music and sports memorabilia. So no, you're right, I don't know what you go through…"

Lukas blinked. Mathilde frowned. "But that doesn't make what I struggle with in my own home any less valid. You know what it feels like to have a parent who ignores you, so you know what I go through."

Lukas crossed his arms as she sat down on the floor. "I won't sit here and pretend I know what it's like to have no money or have a parent with an addiction, unless you count my stepmom's shopping addiction." She gave a shallow laugh. "But… I do understand being ignored and pushed aside by your parents…"

Lukas shrugged. "Not to the same extent."

"No, but once you take away the booze, would your mom pay attention to you then?"

Lukas sat and thought. When the alcohol wore off, she called for him. She trusted him in kicking out guys and in making sure she was in bed and not sick or dying after her binge drinking sessions. There was minimal interaction, all of it based around her wants and needs.

"She doesn't care about my needs."

Mathilde nodded. "Neither do my parents, Lukas."

She opened the book in her lap and that was that. Lukas inhaled sharply, opening his own, beginning to walk her through the basic steps to finding whatever the solution to the formula given in the book was.

 **x x x**

"What did Lukas say? I mean, when he saw your place?"

Rolling onto her stomach, Mathilde shrugged, messing around with the Minnesota Wild teddy bear her friends got her over the summer for her birthday. "He freaked. Made me feel like shit, Jakey."

She heard shuffling from the other end, Jake laughing loudly and a woman scolding in the background. "I mean… not laughing at you, Rhi did something crazy funny… but yeah no, that _sucks_."

"Like, I know I'm not poor! He made it seem like I act like I do!"

Jake shrugged. "I mean… you _don't_ , but I feel like the way you act towards the more popular and economically stable…"

"Well, now I feel like it's kind of a reality check for me."

Mathilde flipped over onto her back. "What do you mean, Thilde?" Jake asked. Mathilde could see confusion clear-as-day on his face just by the tone in his voice. She shrugged. "Oh, wait… is it this you've been judging everyone on how they act and dress and now when you look at it people judge you like that and you don't think it's fair thing?"

"I mean, I thought Lukas wasn't… well… and I was wrong… maybe I'm wrong about everyone…"

She huffed. She hated admitting that to herself, because she had too much pride and didn't like being wrong. She didn't know anything Lukas, really, and now looking at it, maybe Erikur was just too easily influenced and wanted to stay in his parents' good graces – especially since he was gay and all. She knew Timo and his family relatively well.

As for Svea, she had no clue. She made a face, thinking about how she might actually have to be decent to the stuck-up girl.

"I mean, they weren't fair to you, either."

Jake has a point, but Mathilde wanted to be the bigger person. "I don't know…" A gentle knock sounded from her door. "I gotta let you go. Bye, Jake. Come in!"

She sat up and frowned as a tall, skinny woman opened her door, dressed in nothing but a black, silk robe to match the color of her hair. "Rosie says you found a tutor?" Mathilde stared at the young woman in shock. She didn't particularly _like_ her stepmother, and the woman kept her distance unless it was to make her life a living hell. However, she always liked to respond to these trivial things, because then it just got under her skin the way Mathilde talked and acted and just didn't give a _fuck_ about what her stepmom had to say.

"Yes, Shayla," Mathilde sneered. "A boy in my math class. He's helping me just enough to get me up to a C." Shayla, the woman, rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Don't you have some kiddies to abduct and use their life force for their youth?"

Shayla gave one humble chuckle, then replied with malice, "You think you're a real fucking gem, don't you?"

"I like to think I'm the only person in this house besides Rosie with a sense of humor," Mathilde responded.

"Well, just because you have a tutor, doesn't mean anything," Shayla warned. "You won't amount to anything and soon enough, you'll be out of this house and my hair."

"But not out of dad's inheritance," Mathilde chimed in. She smirked and Shayla's eyes narrowed. "Which will be going to my college education. So as long as I get in somewhere, you won't be touching that money, Shayla."

"What a waste," Shayla murmured. "Not like you're going anywhere with your life."

Mathilde rolled her eyes. "Yeah, tell me something I don't know." Shayla exited the room and Mathilde sighed loudly as her door was slammed shut behind her stepmother.


	14. A Grand Plan

I'm blown away by the support you guys are giving me. It's really touching, ya'll. This chapter's a bit shorter, so because of that, it'll be a double upload day. I'll post the next part after my tattoo appointment. Also, because after... the next chapter... that's when things are picking up and there's more drama and freakouts and shit?

All in all, I really appreciate the support and it makes me wanna cry a lot. You guys rock.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _A Grand Plan_

Lukas stood in the hallways as Traian approached him, Timo, and Mathilde. "Uh, hey… Lu… uh… and Lu's other friends, apparently." Traian gave a sheepish grin that was met with an unsure smile from Mathilde and Timo's normally friendly grin. Lukas sighed loudly, knowing that when he started to spend time with them, his group of friends became really… awkward about it.

He thought that his group would be better about this.

Traian at least was a social human and would come up and be friendly. "You hear they cancelled gym today?"

The three's eyes widened and Traian gave a small laugh. "You guys are in a load of shit."

Mathilde tapped her chin. "I haven't heard anything and the rumor mill gets started pretty easily. How do you know this?"

Traian paled, his mouth agape. Lukas looked over at him and Traian shrugged. "Well, _I_ heard it through the rumor mill." Mathilde crossed her arms, but remained silent. "Anyway, Lu, you should come over to my place tonight…"

"Can't, math quiz tomorrow." Traian blinked.

"Like you need to study," Traian sneered.

"But _I_ do."

Mathilde looked over at Lukas, offering him a weak and nervous smile. Their tutoring session last night was awkward and tense, but Mathilde was determine to put that behind her. Traian shrugged, "Fucking losers. Math is for nerds!"

"Traian," Lukas deadpanned. "You _are_ a nerd."

Traian rolled his eyes. "Whatever, see you at lunch, Luke." As Traian walked away, Lukas turned to Mathilde and Timo.

"If what he's saying is true…"

"We're in a load of shit," Timo echoed. "We need to hunker down _now_ if we want to clear our names! I sense expulsion if we aren't cleared of this."

"They have no grounds!" Mathilde argued. Timo shrugged, looking down the hallway as Svea and her friends began to talk. "You think Princess has heard about this?" Timo shrugged and Svea glanced up, looking over as Anya giggled, waving towards Timo.

"Who knows? By the way, is Erikur also being a shallow little bitch? Haven't seen him yet either."

"He just got here." Lukas motioned down the hall, opposite of Svea, towards Erikur's lockers, where the platinum blond was struggling with his lock, hood pulled up over his face. "Come on, he's friends with Mei 'Blabbermouth' Xiao."

The three nodded and slowly approached Erikur. Mathilde chuckled, holding her hand up to silence the other two. "Hey, Eri, you reliving your emo kid phase?" The figure froze and he audibly gulped. "Should we start calling you Wraith?"

"Uh, can we do this later…?"

"Uh, no? This is actually important," Timo explained, gently touching his shoulder. Erikur visibly flinched. "Come on, let's go to the picnic table…"

"I'm gonna be late…"

"There's another twenty minutes before first bell, chill," Lukas commanded. "What the _hell_ is your issue? Walking in here, looking like you're going to drop a rap album…"

Erikur pulled down his hood, straightening his hair as the other three gaped. "What the hell?" Mathilde shouted. "I know you're athletic, but that black eye is _not_ from sports."

Erikur shrugged, turning to his locker to open it and grab his books. Timo tilted his head and Lukas looked over at Mathilde. "Dude, like… who did that?"

"It's nothing, just… happens."

"That is so not nothing!"

Mathilde fumed but the boys ignored her protests. Erikur inhaled, forcing a small smile on his face. Lukas felt uneasy by how fake it seemed. "So, uh… what's up?"

Lukas couldn't form the words and Timo half-heartedly explained everything, with Mathilde shooting Erikur looks that ranged from concern to disapproval. Mathilde frowned, lowering her gaze as she began to bite her thumbnail.

Something didn't seem right.

 **x x x**

"I guess I'm going to that shitty party tomorrow."

Svea slammed her book bag onto the floor. She shrugged, mumbling, "I didn't know Camille was dating Jake Walters."

"I didn't even know Jake had a girlfriend?"

Timo seemed honestly confused. Mathilde shrugged. "They kept it pretty much on the DL."

"I guess they've been going steady for a few weeks," Svea explained. "It's… shocking…"

"That one of your friends doesn't care about your socially constructed barriers to keep different groups from interacting and is dating someone for his personality, not his popularity?"

Svea blinked. Timo was bitter since their fallout at the nursing home earlier this week. She had thought a lot about it (an _awful_ lot), but it prevented her from speaking to him outside of situations when necessary. "If you applied yourself in school as much as you did to criticizing my friends and I…"

"Save me the lecture, Svea."

Svea frowned. Even at their worst, he never used her name. Mathilde turned to Lukas, who just shrugged. Erikur held an icepack over his eye – now completely swollen shut – and coughed loudly.

"Uhm, can you guys take your tension elsewhere?"

"What the hell happened to your face? Is this why you cut class all day?"

"I went to _some_ ," Erikur insisted. "I spent most of it in the counselors office…" Mathilde frowned.

"Dad?"

She wasn't oblivious. She had friends in this situation before. Erikur shook his head, muttering a bad night at practice or something, but Mathilde didn't buy it, and by the looks of it, Lukas was right there with her. Mathilde watched Svea shift.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better… I uh, I heard Traian talking to someone about the gym…"

Everyone turned to Lukas who looked down at his hands. "I… I don't know. I mean, I know Traian has had issues. Personal vendetta against Jonah. Raya too. They didn't talk about it together, but Traian mentioned something off to Arthur and when I asked Traian ignored me and Arthur tried to explain, but…"

"I think we have a list," Lukas stated. "Raya, Traian, Afonso, and Manuel… anyone else of interest?" Timo and Lukas exchanged looks. Timo didn't want to say Alfred, just in case Svea freaked out.

"I know it's not Kiet, he worked all last night," Mathilde told the group.

"What about Jan?" Lukas asked.

"Jan isn't…" Mathilde drifted off, biting her tongue immediately. She shook her head. "I don't have to explain Jan's life to you," she retorted. Lukas' eyes narrowed. She held her breath, knowing damn well he could expose her, but Lukas just turned.

"I have my eyes on him and Jones," Lukas announced. "But as far as I know, they're not total suspects."

Mathilde looked at him, frowning. "So, what's the chances of the guy striking again Saturday? It's a dead night this weekend. Something is bound to happen here!"

Mathilde smirked. "Are you suggesting we break into the school and _spy_?" Timo nodded and Mathilde cackled. "Oh boy! This is going to be a fucking adventure! I'm so down."

"Yes," Erikur sneered. "It's such a good idea to have all five of us _suspects_ break into the school and stakeout the gym, because if we get caught…"

"Oh, come off it!" Mathilde interjected. "Where's your sense of adventure? Besides, we don't have much else to do besides sit and wait. I'd rather figure this out now." Erikur frowned, but nodded in agreement after giving it a quick thought.

"Besides, the balcony that overlooks the gym, with all the sound equipment is a prime hiding spot," Timo explained. "Nobody ever goes up there."

"I'm in," Lukas chimed in, without any hesitation. Svea sighed, looking over as the group's eyes fell on her. She looked down at her hands, before sighing loudly. "Svea?"

"Fine, I'll be there."

"Same," Erikur jumped in. "But… uh… what are we going to tell our parents?" He looked genuinely concerned, which made Mathilde quirk an eyebrow. Lukas smiled, although it was closer to a devious smirk.

"Study group," Lukas simply explained. "Your parents seem like the kind that don't want you failing, so I assume they won't question if you say it's for studying." Svea nodded, mumbling something about how that was smart. Timo shrugged, looking at Mathilde, who kept her eyes on Erikur. Lukas looked at her and bit his lip.

"Awesome, yeah, sounds good… but…"

"We can give them my home phone," Mathilde jumped in, as if she knew what Erikur was about to say. "Ro- uh, stepmom… she'll lie." She held her breath, waiting for Lukas to jump in and expose her. Lukas kept his mouth shut and she exhaled. Nobody question her reaction and went back to discussing the details of their stakeout – snacks, mostly.

By the time detention let out, Lukas and Mathilde hung back. Timo left in a hurry, with Svea following behind. Erikur lingered briefly, then left when nothing of importance seemed to occur. "You down for another study session?"

"You're not mad?"

Lukas shrugged. "I'm not going to go back on something I promised, Mathilde. I'll meet you at your place?" Mathilde smiles, her chest tightening as he smiles back at her.

"Yeah, sounds good."


	15. Sorry

As promised, a bonus update for the day.

In case you're curious, my tattoo looks AMAZING.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Sorry_

"I'm sorry I like… kind of was a bitch yesterday."

Lukas inhaled sharply and Mathilde sighed loudly. "Listen, it's just… I know it's shitty of me to walk around and act like I suffer in the same ways you and Timo do," Mathilde explained. "And like, yeah, I don't have a perfect life, but… I was bitch."

"I'm still blown away you hide all _this_." He watched her bite her lip and shrug in return.

"Listen," Mathilde explained. "It's just that… I made friends in the group I have. And yes, my friends know about all of _this_." She gestured to her room, but he assumed she meant the whole mansion she lived in. "And I don't… I just I guess I just try fit the stereotype people hold of me."

"You're the one who hates labels," Lukas snorted.

"That would be you too, genius," Mathilde sneered. "And like, I'm glad we agree on that. I misjudged you. I thought you were some haughty know-it-all with no sense of humor."

Lukas frowned, closing his math book as he realized they weren't going to get any studying done. "And now what?"

"You're still a fucking know-it-all, but you're smart and you are sarcastic, and I can roll with that in a friend."

"A friend?" Lukas rolled his eyes. "Come on, you think we've spent enough time to be called friends?"

"I mean, you're helping me, we spend a lot of time, I send you dank ass memes…"

"Which I hate," he interjected.

"Shut up, you think they're funny," she grumbled. "Anyway, I don't know. Maybe we aren't, but you're not terrible, is what I'm getting at. Like, I think you'd get along great with Kiet, for sure. Jake… probably… and Jan… uh, well, one day…"

"I'm not about to start crashing your group hang outs."

"Well, the invitation is always there."

Lukas looked over at Mathilde and studied her face. She offered him a warmhearted smile and he couldn't help but return a very small one. He wouldn't mind extended his circle of friends, and she wasn't _horrible_ , the more he thought about it. He pushed the thought from his mind, shrugging.

"Let's just study."

 **x x x**

"Let me come with you today."

Timo threw his bag into the truck, turning to face Svea in shock. She frowned as Timo snorted. "Don't laugh at me."

"What got into you? Your friends want to go to the party and suddenly you and I are buddy-buddy?"

Svea looked down at the ground. "Listen, I just… just let me come today, okay?"

"It's ballroom dancing night," Timo explained. "Some of the older fellas get a bit handsy. You sure you're okay with simple peasants touching you?" There wasn't as much venom in his voice as there usually was and Svea shrugged.

"I think I can do my daily good deed for my subjects without pitching a fit."

Timo chuckled and Svea gave him a small smile. Timo's eyes darted past Svea's face, frowning as a figure pushed past the back doors that led into the locker room. "Hey, wait here," he whispered. Svea turned around, following right behind him as Timo whispered, "That's Afonso."

"What's he doing going into the girls' locker room?" Svea asked, stepping in front of him and walking towards the door. Gently, she pushed it open, looking behind at Timo. "What? The girls' soccer team has an away game."

"There's a tennis and golf team?" Timo sheepish replied, although it sounded more like a question.

"As if they need this locker room," Svea sneered. Timo shrugged and stood behind her as they pushed the door open. Svea stepped inside and Timo followed. "Where did he go?"

"Maybe he…" Timo was cut off.

"I don't know why…!"

"I told you, it'll get taken care off…"

Svea shushed Timo, covering his mouth as the voices grew quiet. "I know, Manny, it sucks. But don't worry, it'll be fine. Alfred and I are…"

"Alfred's involved now? Do you even know who he's with?" Manuel shouted. Afonso grew quiet. "Seriously, you're playing stupid. I can't afford to get caught and neither can you!"

"Babe, I promise, it'll be okay. That tramp won't say a damn thing if she knows. Saturday, I'm planning something big, and you'll enjoy it."

Svea turned to Timo and their eyes went wide. Svea mouthed _'Leave,'_ and the two quickly opened the door, stumbling out. Svea soothed her shirt and began to storm off, Timo running after her. "Hey, what's the big deal?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Svea gritted her teeth and made her way over to Timo's truck. "Let's just fucking go."

 **x x x**

"You're still mad, aren't you?"

Two hours later, Timo returned Svea to the school parking lot, dropping her off near her car. She shrugged. While she had cooled down significantly, Svea still was angry and upset. "Hey, uh, if it's what Afonso said… I know… uh, that wasn't cool."

"Thanks," she replied, dryly.

"I mean, you're not… I mean… uh…"

"Just stop, okay?" she snapped. Timo blinked and Svea sighed. "I'm sorry," she replied. "It's just, I hate when people call me that… or whore… or slut… it makes me feel like shit."

"Hey, totally understandable," Timo replied. "So, uh… for the record…"

"Alfred and I are not dating," Svea insisted. "Listen, I know it looks like it, and he tells me a lot, but he doesn't tell me everything. I don't know what he gets up to, really. I feel like you guys talk behind my back. It's obvious the nerd doesn't trust me."

"I think Lukas wouldn't be happy to hear you refer to him as such," Timo muttered. "I mean, stereotypes and all. You hate people calling you a whore…"

"Oh, so you think I'm a whore?" Svea snapped.

"Ha, the opposite. I bet you wear a chastity belt under your skirts." Svea turned bright red. Timo assumed it was from embarrassment and shrugged. "Even if you were, it's none of my business."

"You sound like you're making it your business," Svea responded.

"If you think I'm trying to hit on you, get real," Timo grumbled. "What would your friends say if they saw us hand in hand in the hallway? They'd disown you. You couldn't be Queen of the Junior Class because you gave it up to date a social outcast."

"You don't _know_ my friends, Timo! Not like your friends would react any better! They'd probably laugh in your face!"

Timo's blood boiled. "Look, I tried to apologize, but you seem to only pick fights. Now get out of my car. I'm not afraid to hit a girl, especially a bigmouthed, spoiled rotten brat like yourself!"

Svea's eyes began to water as she opened the door. "Fine!" she screamed, sliding out of the truck and slamming it shut. Timo fumed, speeding off before Svea even reached her car.

 **x x x**

"You didn't."

"Venla, don't tell Mom."

"Don't tell her you threatened to beat up a girl? She probably deserved it. She sounds like a bitch, anyway. Like those girls in my class."

Venla looked at Timo as he sighed, braiding one side of her blonde hair. "I mean, it so wasn't cool of me. I lost my chill. She didn't even do anything. She was upset and I guess I didn't help…"

"I don't think you're wrong."

Timo sighs as Venla goes back to drawing whatever picture she had been working on. The front door opened and Venla jumped up, screaming, "Daddy!" The balding man with a moustache smiled as his youngest daughter ran up and embraced him. Timo have him a halfhearted smile.

"You look sad, son," his father muttered. Timo shrugged and his dad detached Venla from his leg. "Venla, daughter, go to your room." Venla snorted and made her way out of the living room as Timo moved to the sofa and his father reached the recliner. "Son."

"I just kind of am upset at myself," he said, slowly. "I, uh, lost my temper… or almost did… nobody got hurt… but… I threatened someone."

"Do we need to take you back to therapy, son?" Timo gulped, shaking his head. His father hummed in thought. "What had happened?"

"It's the annoying Svea girl, the one I bitched to Ma about…"

"Language, son."

Timo inhaled and sighed loudly. "Well, she was upset because we heard someone call her uh… not nice name… and then she was just upset and I guess… we just started arguing and I blew up and threatened to beat the shit out of her."

"Language," his father hissed. "So… did you apologize?"

"I tried, she just… she just kept fighting me." Timo shrugged. "I mean… uh… I don't know, okay?"

"I think you know what you need to do," his father huffed, standing up. As his father left the room, Timo sank further into the sofa, praying it would swallow him up at any time. He grabbed his phone from his pocket, fiddling with it. He opened the messaging app and then closed it.

About two hours later, he finally started a new message and sent it. He set his phone down and walked away, unsure of what to do if she did end up replying.

 _I'm sorry._

 **Princess**  
 _We can talk tomorrow.  
I may have lost my temper, too._


	16. The Lukas Show

It's technically Sunday let's go.

next chapter is fun. and then it picks up pace. let's fucking go x2

I procrastinated posting this. I finally beat my Nuzlocke of Pkmn Pearl, and like... i had never played Gen 4 games and I never will again so anyway enjoy this, guys.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _The Lukas Show_

"Hey, Brainiac."

Lukas sighed loudly as he closed the door to his locker. Indre quirked an eyebrow as Mathilde Densen bounced up to them, a smile on her face as bright as the sun. "Guess what I just had to do?" Mathilde asked.

"I can only imagine," Indre deadpanned. Mathilde shot her a nasty look, but it softened immediately as Lukas shrugged, waving off Indre, encouraging her to continue.

"I just got called into the math teacher's classroom to prove that I didn't cheat on my test."

Lukas blinked, before he got out a simple, "What?"

"They thought I cheated on my quiz. It turned out, what we did in our tutoring sessions stuck!" Mathilde squealed and Lukas cracked what appeared to be the faintest smile. Indre's eyebrows were almost to her hairline as Mathilde and Lukas exchanged a high five.

"Awesome."

"You should go into teaching!"

"…I hate kids. See you at lunch?"

"Are you inviting me to sit with you? Is this a date?" Mathilde batted her eyelashes. "Buying my lunch?"

Lukas snorted and shoved her, although it wasn't to be malicious. "Chill, Densen, just thought I'd be friendly."

"I'll see what my harem of beautiful men says, then I'll let you know. Otherwise, we have a date at 2:30 this afternoon. I hear that detention is going to be _riveting_ as always."

Mathilde walked away and Lukas shook his head. Indre crossed her arms, leaning against the locker as Lukas turned to face her. "You know, if you're going to be friends with people like her…"

"Indre, chill. We aren't best friends, but we spend time together and she's happy she passed a quiz, which I had been helping her study for."

"You have two more years left. Don't get involved with the wrong crowd. Don't… make those choices." Lukas clenched his fists as Indre rolled her eyes. "Don't get mad. I'm looking out for you."

"You're kind of being a bitch," Lukas sneered. "You don't even know Mathilde, okay? She's not that bad."

"The girl is a fucking infidel. She can't even pass basic algebra." Lukas glared as Indre shrugged. "Like I said, if you know what's good for you, you'd choose friends that are going to support your academic endeavors and aren't going to be felons in two years."

Lukas turned his pack towards Indre. "You know what, Dre? Tell everyone I'm going to be having lunch with someone else today. I don't think I want to be around you guys."

 **x x x**

"Uh, hi."

"Well, well…" Jan leaned back and crossed his arms. "Come over here to be a judgmental prick again? Because I'm not afraid to kick your ass, Thomassen." Mathilde slapped his arm hard as Timo smiled and waved at him. Lukas looked over at Kiet Sripuy, who paid him no mind as he was too busy flipping absentmindedly through a textbook to care.

"Knock it the fuck off. Lukas is super cool, or as he would say, he's super _chill_."

Lukas chuckled, but Jan just glared. "Besides, we need another body since Jake is uh, playing adoring boyfriend to Cami."

"I hate her."

"You hate _everyone_ , Jan."

"Not Lien," Kiet said without even glancing up. Lukas blinked. "But Lien also hates everyone."

"They should just get married and hate the world together. Their babies would have the cutest resting bitch face," Timo added.

Lukas had never really hung around people who talked this much at lunch. Traian usually filled most of the conversation and everyone hung back, listening as he dominated the conversation, but here, it seemed everyone was comfortable talking.

"I'm not…" Jan tried to protest. Kiet finally glanced up, with a look that immediately shut Jan up. "Okay, fine, I do. But if this fucking nerd blabs it to the whole school…"

"Lukas couldn't care less," Timo insisted. "God, just look at him, he just looks happy to have friends."

"I have friends," Lukas protested, rolling his eyes because Timo _knew_ he was friends with a few people. Timo laughed, giving Lukas a playful punch on his shoulder.

"I'm just messing with you, I know you hang out with the nerd brigade." Timo turned his attention back to Kiet. "Kiet, you'd like them. All young, studious little shits who only care about grades and college and college scholarships."

"As if he's going to need one."

Lukas' eyes narrowed as Jan spoke. Jan snorted, earning a glare from Mathilde. Timo gulped and Kiet slammed his book shut. "Johannes, that's enough. He didn't do anything but sit here and join us for lunch."

"He's a judgmental little freak who literally is going to take the scholarships you're working for, Ki. How are you not mad? I bet the little shit gets everything he wants."

"Knock it off, Jan!" Mathilde shouted. Lukas clenched his fists and began to grit his teeth.

"He's probably just another kid in this school that has mommy and daddy pay for everything."

"Fuck you!" Lukas shouted.

"Classy, too."

"Johannes, stop." Kiet was glaring and Jan just snorted loudly.

Lukas stood up, grabbing the apple he barely touched and stormed off. Mathilde sighed loudly, grabbing her own tray as Jan grabbed her arm. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Could you try to be a decent human maybe, like, once?" Mathilde asked. "God, like, Lukas… I'm going to go find him."

"Not like he means anything to you other than getting a math grade up."

Mathilde frowned, muttering, "Yeah, but I'm not a shallow bitch like you," before she walked away.

 **x x x**

"Hey, I'm sorry about Jan…"

Mathilde sat next to Lukas as he sighed loudly. Mathilde had followed him up to the balcony that overlooked the gym, tucked into the corner and near the desk of many electrical wires and sound equipment buttons that neither could probably figure out. "It's not your fault. I am who I am."

"Well, we may not be best friends, but I think you're awesome…"

"You're just saying that because I'm tutoring you," Lukas snorted as Mathilde sat down across from him. She shrugged, but he said, "You wouldn't say that if I wasn't."

"I mean, between the other two people I'm being forced to spend time with outside my group of friends, you're the least annoying."

Lukas rolled his eyes and shrugged again. The two sat in silence, before Lukas asked, "So, you like those guys?"

"Jan takes a while to warm up to, but he means well, and Jake and Kiet are so sweet."

"You fuck any of them?"

Mathilde sputtered and Lukas smirked. "Well, not like it's any of your business, but since I'm comfortable enough with my sexuality…" Mathilde cleared her throat. "Kiet is gay. Won't even kiss a girl. Jake is like my little brother, also he's dating Cami Roux, and they're going to have beautiful babies."

"And Jan?"

"I've had a thing for Jan, and we've hooked up drunk a few times, but he's head over heels for Lien Nguyen." She huffed and Lukas frowned. "Something about how he can't see me as a girlfriend. I'm still hung up."

Lukas just nods, shrugging his shoulder. "Seems like an ass, so… probably better off without him, Mathilde."

Mathilde chuckled, before tapping her chin. "What about you and that one girl? Indre?"

"Dre is my friend. We've lived next door to each other for years, but… I don't like her like that… and to be honest, I think she's only attracted to me because I remind her of someone."

Lukas felt Mathilde place her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you're pretty chill, you know?"

"So, what happens when this is all over then?" Lukas asked. "Like, after we clear our names… and we don't have to interact everyday?"

Mathilde shrugged her shoulders. "You can hang out with me anytime. Besides, I might need your tutoring skills still. I can't become a super genius overnight!"

"Or at all." Mathilde elbowed Lukas, but smiled.

"I take it back, you suck and I hate you."

The two laughed.

 **x x x**

"Lukas?"

"It's me, Mom."

Walking into the kitchen, Lukas watched as his mom began to slowly do the dishes, taking her time with each dish. A glass of wine was poured next to her and she turned around, reaching for the glass. Lukas flinched. "I'm going out with some friends tonight."

"You are?" his mother asked. He nodded. "What time?"

"Maybe eight or nine. It's just a party. I may not even come home." He hoped that would elicit some kind of response but his mother only shrugged and turned back around. He sighed, wanting to ask how many glasses she had before he came home, but he didn't, out of respect for his mother, which he was still surprised he even had.

"I won't need the car anyway, I'm just going out to the bar for a bit."

"Of course," muttered Lukas, turning his back to his mother. She huffed. "I'm gonna go do my chores then shower. I have to pick up some friends at eight, so…"

"Alright, baby," she said. "Love you."

Lukas sighed. "Yeah," he whispered. "Love you too."


	17. Party Like a Rockstar

This was one of the funner chapters. The next two are some of my personal favorites, but here is some background for shit to come.

Alternatively titled "stupid teens drink too much."

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Party Like a Rock Star_

"Hey, I think it's super chill you're driving us, Lukas, and not being an uptight ass."

"Nichita, shut up."

"I mean it, bro. I thought you were an uptight asshole because you hung around Traian and yeah, he's funny, but he only cares about grades."

"Nichita, shut up."

Nichelle elbowed the talkative brunet, smiling at Lukas as she met his eyes in the rearview. "Sorry," she offered and Erikur nodded. "Nichita, right now, Lukas doesn't wanna hear you talk shit about Traian or give him backhanded compliments."

"I love my brother, he's just easy to make fun of… as is Lukas."

"Nichita… you talk too much," Erikur said, turning around. "I've never seen you speechless."

"I have when it comes to a certain someone," Lukas whispered, but it was still loud enough that Erikur and Nichelle exclaimed at the same time, with Nichelle leaning forward. "Oh, Nichi, do your friends not know?" Lukas asked, smirking as Nichita turned red.

"Shut up! God, you're worse than Traian, I take back ever saying you were chill!"

"Woah, you mean your best friends don't know about your little crush?"

"Nichi has a crush?" Nichelle screamed, flying back and shaking Nichita. "Nichi! You never told me!"

"Yeah, you usually tell the guys this kind of shit," Erikur added. "What gives?"

"Lukas, I can't tell them because…!"

"I mean, I'm surprised they don't know how _madly_ in love with Elise Vogel you are."

The car grew silent and the sound of the radio announcer faded into a commercial. Nichelle looked between Erikur and Nichita and she whispered. "No way. You're not serious…" Nichita hid his face as Lukas turned to Erikur as they came to a stoplight.

"Nichi's crush is madly in love with Eri. They kind of have a thing," Nichelle clarified.

"Woah, hold on, just because she likes me, doesn't mean I return those feelings." Lukas was about to mention something about Erikur's sexuality, but realized that he had mentioned not being out to his core group of friends yet. He shut his mouth, watching as Erikur turned to Nichita. "And Nichi, you would be so much better for Elise. She's just a friend to me, and honestly, you two just _click_ , you know?"

"So why do you lead her on?" Nichelle asked, crossing her arms.

"Uh, just… it's hard. Everyone expects us to date because Mei and Leon think so and we all run in the same group… I don't know. But yo, Nichi… I got your back. I'll chase her off right into your arms."

"Thanks, but also… I really enjoyed having my crush broadcasted to the whole car, Lukas," Nichita sneered. Lukas smirked.

"Nichi, I've known you since you were little," Lukas replied. "As far as I'm concerned, this is part of my job."

 **x x x**

Erikur's heart stopped when Jan van Dijk opened the door. "What the hell is this little asshole doing here?"

"Hey, calm down, I invited Erikur, he's cool."

Mathilde's voice bellowed from across the room at the flip cup table. Nichelle pushed past Erikur to run over to Camille Roux, another friend of hers and Nichita hung back, eyes wide. Lukas grinned.

"You heard the lady, he's cool." Jan crossed his arms.

"Not unless I hear Kiet say it's okay, since you know, homophobic and shit."

Mathilde sighed, excusing herself from the game to walk over to the door. "Jake said it was cool, and last I checked, Jake lived here, not you _or_ Kiet."

"You really going to turn your back on your group of friends and invite these…?"

"Shut it, Johannes!"

"What the hell are you two fighting about now?"

Erikur bit his lip as from behind the two bickering blonds, Kiet Sripuy appeared. The Asian quirked an eyebrow, shrugging his shoulders, before saying, "Oh. Uh, Mathilde, you invited them?" Mathilde nodded and Kiet looked them over, his gaze lingering on Erikur a bit too long.

"I did. Lukas is super cool. Eri… he's alright."

"Kiettisuk," Jan warned. Kiet shrugged, shaking his head.

"Not my house, and if Jake said it's fine, it's fine. Not trying to ruin anyone's night."

Erikur inhaled sharply as Nichita pushed him into the house. Jan fumed, slamming the door behind them as he stormed away. Mathilde sighed watching as Kiet turned his back and walked away. Nichita looked over at Erikur, mumbling about getting a drink as Lukas approached Mathilde, frowning.

"Uh, well… I'm sorry…"

"It's not me you need to apologize to."

Mathilde placed a hand on his shoulder and Lukas shrugged. "No need to let that ass ruin the night," he whispered, earning a pointed glare from Mathilde. Nichita approached Erikur, two bottles of beer in his hands, grinning at his friend.

"Drink up, Steilsson!"

 **x x x**

"Oh, look, here comes Alfred."

Anya rolled her eyes, taking a swig from the handle of vodka being passed around between the group of giggling girls. Svea felt a bit uncomfortable, knowing that a lot of the people in attendance didn't run in her crowd – hell, she had saw Timo Väinämöinen dancing with Anya (which she would not _shut up_ about, and it drove her fucking crazy).

"What's he doing here?" Monika asked, rolling her eyes. "Never mind, I don't care. I'm getting another beer. Anybody want anything?"

Nichelle nodded and rose to her feet, leaving the sofa with Monika as Alfred smirked, collapsing in the open spot next to Svea. "Anya, babe, you look dashing…"

"Rot in hell, Jones."

"Svea, can I talk to you… alone?"

"I'll be right back," Svea muttered. Standing up, she allowed Alfred to grab her hand and pull her down the dark hallway. "What's up?" she asked and Alfred smirked, placing his hands on her hips.

"Empty bedrooms."

"Alfred, no."

"You have a price," he sneered. "You always do."

"I'm… listen, we need to talk…" Svea sighed, adjusting her glasses as she stepped back. "I… I'm not… I'm not going to sleep with you or your friends anymore."

"You have a price," he repeated. "And you know your dad can't make those bills by himself or with your meager waitress paycheck."

"Yeah, well, somehow Afonso and Manuel think I'm a whore!"

"In a way…"

Svea fumed. "I can't believe…! Telling everyone is _not_ okay! This was between you and I and now you're trying to whore me out and I won't!"

"Oh, come on…!"

Svea slapped his hand away and glared. "Touch me again and die."

"Svea!" Alfred shouted, reaching for her arm again. She glared, yanking back and bumping into the wall. "Come on, you're being ridiculous."

"The fuck is going on down here?"

Svea blinked, turning as Timo blinked, his light colored eyes examining the scene before him. He looked between the two and frowned, slowly stepping forward, although tripping over what seemed like thin air. "Oh shit. Uh, hey dude… uh, you good there, Princess?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, does the fact you spend every day with her give you a right to interject a serious conversation we're having? Get lost, creep."

"Hey, yo, I'm not trying to start shit but…" Alfred stepped forward and Timo blinked, tilting his head. "Uh, Svea promised me a dance and I want to cash that check."

"Like hell she did!"

"I, uh, I lost a bet! In detention!" Svea piped up. "It was who could stack a tower of books the highest and mine fell over because I bumped the table and so, I, uh, need to hold my end of the deal up. Sorry, Alfred. We can talk later."

Svea pushed past him, grabbing Timo's hand as she led him away from the blond and the dark hallway before Alfred could even think of protesting. "Thanks," she whispered as they walked towards the common area, where a group of people had transformed it into a dance floor. "He's a bit drunk…"

"Is he?" Timo asked, looking over his shoulder. "He seemed to want something from you."

"He did, but… you know me! Pure as always!"

"Are you though?" Timo watched as she stopped at the outskirts of the mob of people moving in time with the music. She frowned, looking away as he chuckled. "Kidding, Princess. Come on, let's get that dance in before Alfred tries to kill me."

"What about Anya?" Svea asked. "You two seemed pretty into each other. You can dance with her instead."

"You've got cute friends, no lie," Timo replied with a grin and a wink, pulling her towards the crowd. "But you said you were going to dance with me and I'm holding you to it."

"In our _lie_ , Väinämöinen," she mumbled. "I can't even dance."

"Hey, what would you know… neither can I! You saw me Thursday!"

Timo laughed as he grabbed her hand, spinning her around and she frowned. "Listen, I just… I need a drink."

Svea walked away, pushing past people as she moved into the kitchen.

 **x x x**

"Lu, Eri, kitchen, now."

"But I'm winning!"

Erikur's complaints fell on deaf ears as Timo locked arms with the two and dragged them into the now empty kitchen. Lukas rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his water as Erikur leaned against the counter, swaying as Timo began to pace.

"I don't like Alfred. He's up to something."

"Okay," Lukas shrugged. "Is that all? Because we _knew_ that."

Timo violently shook his head. "Listen, yesterday, Svea and I overheard Manuel and Afonso talking about something going on tomorrow at the school. Afonso mentioned Alfred. Then, I saw Alfred corner Svea and…"

"Do you think Svea knows what's going on?" Erikur asked, reaching for another can of beer. Lukas nodded, crossing his arms as Timo shrugged.

"No, I think she's clueless about this, honestly. Or if she knows, she's not as aware as others…"

"I'll talk to Alfred," Erikur offered. "He might be more inclined to tell me something." Timo shrugged and Lukas shook his head.

"Kid, you're a little drunk."

"All the better! He'll think I'm too trashed to remember." Erikur glared at Lukas who just shook his head again. "Listen, I don't enjoy detention, so I'm willing to do this one thing for you assholes."

"But what if Alfred doesn't want to tell you?"

Timo glared at Lukas. "I don't think you realize that Svea and Erikur are the only ins with this group of friend, and Svea isn't going to go against Alfred." Erikur nodded as Lukas slammed his hands down on the counter.

"Okay, but do you fucking know that…!"

A thud was heard as the three turned towards the doorway, with Kiet standing a few feet from the trio. "Oh, uh, sorry… didn't know there was a secret meeting going on."

"There isn't, just making fun of these two. Come on, boys, let's go dance. Lukas needs to get laid!" Timo shouted, his frown quickly covered by a fake smile and boisterous attitude. Lukas rolled his eyes and Timo reached over to grab Erikur.

"Uh, give me a second…" Erikur gulped as Kiet turned his back towards them, rummaging through the freezer as Timo and Lukas shrugged, walked out of the kitchen as Erikur slowly walked over next to the fridge. "Uh, hey…"

"I'm not speaking to you." Kiet waved him off. "Go away."

"I, uh, just want you to listen…" Erikur held up his hands as he swayed, leaning against the countertop for support. He flushed as Kiet rolled his eyes, slamming the freezer door as he began to unscrew the top of the bottle of tequila, leaning against the appliance.

"Okay, I'm listening."

Erikur inhaled slowly. "I, uh, I know I'm kind of a dick. And, uh, I can't think for myself." Erikur lowered his gaze, Kiet's gaze making him heat up and feel so insignificant. "And, yeah, I uh, I'm kind of hoping we can put how shitty I was behind us and uh, try again?"

Kiet snorted, setting the bottle down on the counter next to Erikur. "Is that your lame ass attempt at an apology?"

"Look, I'm _really_ trying here."

"So you think that you can sit here and try and save face, but I know you'll call me a fag when you're with your teammates." Kiet shook his head. "You expect me to fall at your feet just because you have me a half-assed apology? Remember how you insulted me and then kicked my ass?"

"Look, I know the fact that I try to fit in is ridiculous… and I know I don't deserve your forgiveness." Erikur shrugged his shoulders. "But I'm trying."

"Look, Mathilde may seem to be okay with you…" Kiet began, grabbing two small shot glasses from the nearby island. "And you obviously had to have convinced her you weren't a shit human, but…"

"Kiet, listen… I'm… I really am truly sorry."

"Why would you even do it in the first place then?" Kiet asked. "It's not cool to be a homophobic asshole and use slurs."

Erikur shrugged his shoulders and looked away. "I have my reasons."

"Yeah, you have shit reasons," Kiet mumbled, pouring almost a whole shot glass full of tequila and handing it to him. "I'm not forgiving you."

"Okay." Erikur watched him pour another generous amount into the second glass.

"But, I know it takes a lot to admit you're a brainless, dumbass jock who can't think for himself, so for that, I'm giving you bravery points." He raised his glass and smirked. "Cheers, Erikur Steilsson."

Erikur's heart stopped as Kiet smirked at him and he flushed. He was glad he was a few in so he could blame his reddening cheeks on the alcohol. He raised his own glass shakily, spilling a bit of tequila on his hands. "Cheers."

 **x x x**

Erikur stumbled over to Alfred. He gave the boy a goofy grin and Alfred waved at him. "Just the man I wanted to see. Where were you?"

Erikur shrugged, using the wall for support. "Around. Drinking. What's up with you?" he asked. Alfred rolled his eyes and mumbled something Erikur couldn't catch under his breath.

"What's going on between Svea and the disgusting little punk?"

Erikur blinks, connecting the insulting nickname that was meant to described Timo. He frowned, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, Timo calls her 'Princess' and they fight a lot but I don't know, we all kind of started getting along… but you two broke up, so their relationship shouldn't matter."

"I'm looking out for her reputation, is all."

"You sound jealous."

"Shut up, Steilsson."

Erikur frowned. "What's up with you though? Acting all mysterious and stuff. Like, are you hiding something?"

Alfred's eyes narrowed and Erikur blinked. "Erikur, what do you mean?"

"I mean I think you're up to something."

Erikur watched as Alfred gave him a dirty look, shaking his head. Finally, Alfred smirked. "Hey, let's get some more drinks, do a couple shots, and I'll tell you what's up."

Erikur blinked, feeling Alfred drag him back to the kitchen. He poured three shots in a row and Erikur just took them, watching as Alfred took sips from his own shot glasses. Alfred talked about a lot of things – mostly Svea and how much he hated Timo – but whenever Erikur tried to ask a question, Alfred passed him another shot to shut him up.

He wasn't sure how many shots he had taken, but the room was spinning and very fuzzy, but he was still coherent enough to know he had a goal and he was going to achieve that goal.

"I just want you to answer the question – what's up with Afonso and Manuel?"

"After we do another shot, come on, Eri!"

"No more shots," Erikur muttered as another glass was slid his way. "I've had a lot, and I just want you at answer a fucking question."

"One more isn't going to hurt, come on!"

The door to the kitchen flew open and Svea stood there, frowning at Alfred as Erikur blinked. "There you are, Eri!" she exclaimed, her frown melting into an unsure smile. "God, Lukas has been looking everywhere for you. Your friends wanna go home, so…"

Svea walked over, tugging on Erikur's arm as she looked over at Alfred. "We're gonna do one more shot, right, Erikur?"

"The boy can't even stand on his own, asshole!"

"I'm fine," Erikur said. Svea's expression twisted up and suddenly, Erikur wondered if his perception of 'fine' was skewed a bit. Alfred sniggered as Svea shot him another dirty look and shook her head. "Am I?"

"You're slurring so bad."

"He says he's fine, let him have one more…"

"If he even has half a shot, he's going to black out…"

Svea began to tug at Erikur again, shaking her head as he stumbled towards her. "I don't feel so hot." Erikur slumped against the counter and Svea frowned. Alfred laughed and Svea released Erikur from her grip, leaning forward to hit Alfred.

"Leave! You are the fucking _worst_!"

"Not what you said when I got you into bed last night. By the way… I'll pay double if…"

"Knock it the fuck off!"

"Woah, what's taking so long, Princess?"

Timo and Mathilde entered the kitchen, Timo grinning at Svea as Mathilde blinked. "Shit, what's wrong with Erikur?" she asked, running over and pushing Alfred away, rubbing his back as he rested against the kitchen island.

"Alfred just kept feeding him alcohol," Svea mumbled. Timo huffed as Alfred held up his hands. "And he was leaving, _right_?"

"Yeah, I'm done hanging out at this lame party anyway. Call me when you wanna hang out with a real man, Svea."

Svea huffed, watching as Alfred pushed past Timo and turned her attention back to Erikur. "He looks a little green. I'm not sure what all he drank tonight."

"Same shit as his friend," Timo inferred. "And that kid is _trashed_. I'm surprised Erikur's even standing, considering Alfred was trying to give him alcohol poisoning." Timo grabbed an empty glass, filling it with water and placing it in front of Erikur. Erikur blinked, trying to reach for the glass as Mathilde stifled a laugh.

"He's so trashed. Okay, so, Svea, go tell Lukas to take Nichita and Nichelle home," Mathilde demanded. "Timo, grab the water, and find Kiet. We're gonna take him to a bathroom before he decides to hurl everywhere."

"Okay," Timo agreed, grabbing the glass of water and scurrying off. Svea turned to Mathilde, crossing her arms.

"How are we getting him home?" she asked.

"He's not. He's staying with Lukas or I."

"And what makes you think you two are going to take care of him?"

Mathilde rolled her eyes. "Hey, Princess, listen, my friends are super into drinking," she explained. "Do you think I've had to deal with each of them drinking too much at least _once_? If you're so concerned, we can make it a sleepover. Hell, let's invite Timo too! Make it a detention party!"

Svea tapped her chin. "Honestly… it's not a bad idea…"

Mathilde's jaw dropped. Svea waved her off, turning her back towards the shorthaired girl. "I'll go talk to Lukas. You get him to a bathroom. He looks like he's going to vomit any second."

"Sounds good…" Mathilde watched as Svea exited the kitchen, as Erikur and her began to slowly make their way towards the dark hallway.


	18. Sleepover

I love this chapter and I hope you all do too.

Break's coming up, which is nice. I've had a lot of shit happen in my own personal life that hasn't been very kind to my mental health, so the fact I get so much love and support on this makes me smile. Ya'll are the best.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Sleepover_

"He could be worst off."

Kiet sat on the edge of the bathtub as Mathilde looked up, rubbing Erikur's back as he hummed in thought, pressing his forehead against the porcelain seat as Kiet just shrugged. "I remember freshman year, my first big party… I blacked out and threw up everywhere. He made it to the bathroom, at least, and has only puked twice."

"I'm going to murder Alfred," Mathilde hissed.

"Why would he do this?"

Mathilde had an inkling as to why, but shrugged the question off. "To be an asshole, probably." It was a simpler excuse that explaining that Alfred was up to no good, may have been framing someone (her, Lukas, Timo, Svea, and/or Erikur to be exact), and so on. "Hey, Eri, how are you?"

"Fine," he muttered. "Water?"

"Yeah, right here. Hey," she said, passing him the glass as he sat up, taking the glass and sipping from it. "I'm gonna go grab my purse from Jake's room. Kiet's gonna stay with you… right?"

Kiet rolled his eyes. "I'm not heartless. Just really good at holding grudges." Erikur laughed at that and Mathilde huffed.

"You gonna be okay?" Erikur nodded and Mathilde smiled. "You feeling better?"

"Feeling just tired."

"He's slurring but… could be worst…" Kiet announced. Mathilde stood up and shrugged, straightening out her shirt. "What's the plan for him?"

"I guess he's staying at Lukas' place with us," she explained. Kiet quirked an eyebrow. "I'm not ditching him."

"You've taken quite the interest in him."

Mathilde laughed, reaching for the door. "Trust me, Ki, I don't stand a chance with him, if that's what you're implying." Erikur laughed, spitting his water out slightly as Mathilde walked out of the bathroom, closing the door. Kiet shook his head in disbelief as Erikur set his water down, trying to stand up.

"Hey, take it slow, don't want you hurling everywhere." Kiet jumped to his feet as Erikur wobbled, knocking the glass of water over. Kiet shrugged, but Erikur made it to the sink and leaned against it.

"I feel like I need mouthwash."

"You're an oddly coherent drunk. You blacked out?"

Erikur laughed and shook his head, turning to face Kiet. "I 'unno. What does it feel like?" Kiet shrugged and Erikur grinned. "Dunno if I'll remember this. I'm just _really_ tired…"

"Don't blame you," Kiet muttered as Erikur tried to step closer, but stumbled. Kiet caught him, pushing him up as he stumbled back against the sink. Erikur caught his hands and laughed. "You good?"

"Yeah…"

Kiet tilted his head. "You, uh, wanna let go? Of my hands, I mean…" Erikur laughed again, shaking his head. "Okay… whatever, I'll play along… hold my hands if you want…"

"Play along, huh?"

Kiet blinked, then scowled. "I don't like the tone you're using." Erikur shrugged, pulling him closer and leaning down. "What are you doing?"

"I 'unno, trying something?" he muttered. Kiet blinked, barely having any time to process what was happening before Erikur pressed his lips against his. Kiet froze, before he finally registered what had happened.

"Wha… _what_ _the_ _fuck_?" he shouted, stepping back and breaking the kiss. Erikur released his hands and held his up. "What the actual _fuck_?"

"Sorry, should've asked…"

"No, what the fuck, that's not…!"

The bathroom door swung open and Erikur grinned as Mathilde sighed loudly. "Good, he's still conscious. Come on, kiddo, we're taking you to Lukas' place. Sleepover."

Erikur stumbled forward and Kiet instinctively reached to catch him before he fell. He frowned as Erikur winked at him, tightening his grip as Lukas stepped forward. "Come on, Sporto," he muttered, taking him from Kiet and leading him out of the bathroom with ease. Mathilde turned to Kiet, tilting her head.

"Something wrong?"

"Just leave me alone, Mathilde."

Kiet pushed his way past her, elbowing her as he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

 **x x x**

"Alfred is hiding something! There's not doubt about it!" Mathilde declared.

The four juniors sat on the floor of Lukas room. Mathilde had stolen a set of pajamas from Jake's place, while Lukas lent out three sets to Svea, Timo, and Erikur. Erikur made it the whole ride back to Lukas' place before he threw up again. He changed, and Lukas threw him onto his bed, where Erikur had immediately passed out.

"For once, I agree," Svea mumbled, sipping her glass of water as she crossed her legs. "It's not like Alfred to get _anyone_ this drunk. Not even girls he wants to sleep with."

"Well, he is just the finest of gentlemen," Timo sneered. "You picked a winner with him, Svea." She frowned.

"We're over…"

"Didn't seem like it the way he acted towards you tonight," Timo said.

"And before Drunko passed out, Erikur said he was awfully jealous of Timo," Lukas reminded her. "Look, I'm glad we can focus our energy on at least small pool. So we heard Manuel and Afonso are planning something at the school tomorrow… er, today," he corrected himself, looking at the clock. "And Alfred's in on it."

"It's absolutely ridiculous how drunk he got Erikur… well, he wasn't that sober when he went to talk to Alfred, but he definitely wasn't blacked out, I'm sure. I'm betting ten to one odds he's not gonna remember anything from before he left the kitchen."

Timo motioned to Erikur, who was curled up on his side, facing the wall. Lukas nodded in agreement. Mathilde frowned, tapping her chin. "Probably didn't get anything out of him anyway," Svea sighed. "Alfred's fucking stubborn."

"I'm hungry!" Mathilde announced, jumping to her feet. Lukas frowned, standing up as well. "Anyone else need something?"

"I think we have a frozen pizza or two we can make. Let me check the kitchen."

"Oh, Mr. Thomassen, are you asking to escort little ol' me to the kitchen? Such a gentleman!" Mathilde blew a kiss and batted her eyelashes at him. Svea and Timo shot each other confused glances as Lukas shook his head, elbowing her gently as they left the bedroom.

"Idiot."

After they had left the room, Timo frowned, turning to Svea. "You're not off the hook for blowing me off at the party."

"Look," Svea said, "I totally appreciate what you did… but… come on, a dance with me? You saw me Thursday. I didn't even dance with the old people."

"Hey, it's a lot of fun," Timo explained. "It's like… they get a chance to be our age again and relieve the good times. Come on, next Thursday, you gotta try it. The instructors that come in are great and I can even give you a ballroom dancing crash course before then!"

Timo grinned and Svea laughed. "Persistence doesn't get a boy anywhere with me."

"I'm not hitting on you," Timo insisted. "Although, sounds like your boy toy thinks I am."

"Honestly, ignore him, we have… a fucked up relationship, I guess."

Timo wanted to press the issue, but Svea turned to Lukas bookshelf, grabbing a random book and smiling. "Oh, I adore this one. Have you read this?"

Timo shook his head, allowing Svea to gush about her love for _Pride and Prejudice_.

 **x x x**

"Sorry about Jan again."

Mathilde sat on the counter as Lukas poured two glasses of wine. "I mean, it is what it is. Can't help the fact he's a suspicious asshole who walks around the school looking like he's always going to vandalize it."

"I thought you didn't drink?" Mathilde asked. He shrugged, handing her a glass of the Moscato.

"I try not to," Lukas explained. "So, my mom's an alcoholic, and like, so was my dad. He walked out though because like, he wanted to get clean and my mom refused, and he was certain I wasn't even his kid, so he just left me here…"

Mathilde frowned. Lukas continued, "So, I guess, genetically I'm more likely to develop alcoholism. It's ridiculous. I try not to drink because if I have one glass, I can't stop. One beer becomes five, and I know it's my stress. If I have tons of homework and college applications and shit to do, I drink, and I keep drinking. Wanna hear something crazy?"

"Oh Jesus, I don't know if I can handle that," Mathilde joked, nudging him to continue.

"I almost flunked out freshman year."

Mathilde gaped and the room was quiet. Lukas nodded and Mathilde shook her head. "I so don't believe that. What the hell? You're lying!"

"Freshman year, Arthur and I were huge into drinking. Traian was a bit too, but I think he did it to fit in. Arthur would find a party, we go to the party, get trashed and black out, and before I could do anything stupid, Indre would come and drive us home. She lives next door, you know." Lukas smirked as he took a sip. "It was a mess. I didn't do my homework until finally, the guidance counselor pulled me aside and told me I was better than that. She gave me a reality check. She said if my grades weren't better by the end of the third quarter, then I'd be out of school."

"What made you change?"

"Honestly, I looked at who my mom was," Lukas sneered. "Drunk, unemployed, sleeps around, no self-esteem… and no education past her high school diploma. I could make something of myself, not be like her."

"So, then you became a massive fucking nerd?" Mathilde joked, but find it hard to make light of the situation. Lukas smirked, nodding quietly.

"That's why I work so hard. I have to prove that first semester, freshman year was a fluke. That's why I don't really drink or socialize. Because I'm looking at a decent amount of scholarships and I could get to actually get an education. I could make money."

Mathilde frowned, looking over as the timer began to tick down. "At least you got your shit together."

"School isn't for everyone," Lukas shrugged. "I know you don't enjoy it."

"No, and it's ridiculous, because not only do I have money from my mother's life insurance, but I also have my inheritance money." Mathilde kept her voice low, in case Timo or Svea came out into the kitchen. "Dad says the day I graduate, I get all this money and I can use it for college and then do what he does, but I don't think I want to do college."

Lukas hummed, checking on the pizzas in the over. "What do you want?"

"Well, if I don't do college… maybe culinary school, or maybe even I can go to Disney World or Disney Land or Disney _something_ and be Ariel," Mathilde giggled. Lukas fought the small flush that rose to his cheeks as she shared her silly dream of being Ariel. Mathilde gently punched his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I wanted to be a mermaid."

"I'm not making fun of that, just… you're full of surprises."

Mathilde laughed, taking a large chug of her wine. Lukas rolled his eyes. "You're not supposed to chug wine."

"Don't tell me how to live my life, Lukas."

Lukas shook his head, taking another sip of his wine. Mathilde was growing on him and he hated to admit it, but he decided to just enjoy her company.

 **x x x**

"Okay, so, since this is a sleepover, we're going to do traditional sleep over things!" Mathilde shouted, setting her slice of pizza down as she wiped her mouth. "Ti, truth or dare?"

"Jesus, Thilde, I don't know… uh, dare?"

"I dare you to call your brother's fiancée and declare your undying love."

Timo waved her off. "Pass. I've done that before. My older brother thought it would be fun last Christmas." Mathilde pouted, crossing her arms as Timo smirked. "Besides, you know a lot of shit about me."

"I don't know who you lost your virginity too."

"Uh," Timo stuttered, turning pink as he lowered his gaze. "Well… I…"

"Ti, are you a virgin?" Mathilde giggled. "Oh man, no fucking way. I thought…! Does that make me the only non-virgin? Eri admitted he's never even dated anyone, so I know he is." Lukas shrugged.

"I mean, I'm still one," Lukas admitted. "What about you, Princess?" Lukas snorted at the suggestion. Svea lowered her glance. "I mean, are you too pure and prudish?"

"Shut up," she mumbled, bringing her knees to her chest. Mathilde blinked.

"Svea, have you, ya know, _done it_?" she giggled like a pre-teen girl asking her friends the most scandalous of questions. Svea turned red. "Svea, come on! I don't like making assumptions."

"I'm not… it's none of your business!"

"We're all friends here!" Mathilde insisted.

"Uh, on what planet?" Svea sneered.

"So you haven't?"

"Or have you?" Lukas added.

"Guys," Timo tried to interject, but Lukas and Mathilde just kept echoing each other, edging her to answer the question. Svea's face was red and her eyes began to water. "Come on, she's getting really upset…"

"Aren't you curious?" Mathilde asked Timo, who shrugged.

"I don't care if the fucking president wants to know!" Svea shouted. "It's not your fucking business!" Mathilde jumped a bit at her outburst. "Because it doesn't matter what I fucking say, because if I tell you one thing or the other, you're just going to think I'm a prude or a dirty whore, so does it really matter?"

"I already think you're a prude," Lukas admitted. "Whether or not you put out hasn't changed that opinion I've had for a few years." Tears began to stream from Svea's eyes. Timo wanted to reach out and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, then I'm not a fucking virgin! I'm just a fucking whore, okay?"

Mathilde watched Svea stand up quickly, wobbling as she tried to get out of the room in a rush. Timo blinked, his jaw agape as Lukas took a bite from his pizza. Timo slowly began to stand up but Mathilde sighed, standing up. "I'll… I'll get her." She held out her hand to stop Timo.

Mathilde walked out and made her way to the kitchen, where Svea was sitting at the table, wiping her eyes. "Hey, Svea." Mathilde sat down next to her, frowning as Svea scoffed. "Hey, listen, sorry, that was really rude of us to do that to you," Mathilde explained. "And like, we weren't trying to do it to judge you on whether you had or hadn't… because trust me, if having sex a few times with someone you care for a lot makes you a whore, then I guess I deserved that title."

Svea sighed, wiping her eyes again as she finally looked over at Mathilde. "What?"

"Yeah, so… I've only slept with one guy, and it's really fucked up, because it's only when we're drunk, but I always had a thing for him." She laughed, though it was shallow. Svea frowned.

"I didn't love him," Svea admitted. "And… I am a whore. It's just… something I have to accept."

"Please, if you still go off and have sex with randos, it's not a big deal!" Mathilde insisted. "If you like sex, then have sex! Jesus, people just are so quick to judge others. I mean, I'm guilty of it… but… your body, your choice. You can fuck all the guys or one guy or girls or anyone or no one."

Svea chuckled, although it was empty and wasn't in good nature. "I appreciate you trying to make me feel better… I mean, I know we don't… get along."

"Yeah, we should start," Mathilde suggested. "You leave me with those three too often and it's like… woo! Testosterone!"

"You hang out with Lukas on your own free will." Svea raised an eyebrow as Mathilde laughed. "Only for the tutoring, huh?"

"Hey, he's cool," she scolded, although it lacked venom. "We all are, really. Think about it, after we clear our names, we could… we could be like the next Scooby Doo gang, you know?

"What, you'd want to like, _actually_ hang out with me?"

Mathilde shrugged and Svea bit her lip. "I know we talk a lot about what will happen after we clear our names, and I guess I know there's this general consensus that we'll all go back to our old lives," Mathilde explained. "But… I'm an optimist. I would hope maybe we could not be such assholes to each other anymore."

"I can't make promises," Svea sighed. "And if that makes me a bitch, so be it."

"Social norms are hard." Mathilde watched Svea nod and they exchange soft smiles. "Come on, the boys are probably losing their minds without us…"

"Or talking about boobs." They laughed.

 **x x x**

"So, what I'm saying is… he's gotta be abusing her, right?"

Lukas hummed in thought. "And… you should care why?"

"Nobody deserves to be abused!" Timo explained. "It makes sense. Alfred must still only want her for sex. She gives in, hoping they'll get back together, then he tells his friends he took her v-card, and then everyone in that group thinks she's a whore! It makes sense why it upsets her to be called that!"

"He may be mentally intimidating and abusing her, maybe borderline psychologically." Lukas shrugged, leaning against the bed as Erikur shifted. "But like… I think you're seriously just hypothesizing at this point."

Timo groaned as Mathilde and Svea entered the bedroom. "Feeling better?" Timo asked as Svea reclaimed her spot next him. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm really sorry… like, I know how you feel…"

"It's fine, it's fine… just… can you guys… not tell everyone?" Svea whispered. Lukas nodded and Mathilde gave her a thumbs-up. "Thanks. That means a lot."

"Please, that's not my place to tell," Mathilde said. "Like, I would never out Erikur to anyone. That's for him to say and decide when to say it. I'm not an asshole, in spite of other facts."

The group laughed loudly as they continued to eat their pizza and chat idly about whatever came to mind. By the time Erikur woke up, it was eight in the morning. His head was pounding and he knew he wasn't home, but he wasn't sure how he got to where he was.

He sat up and looked down at the floor, smirking as he surveyed the four juniors passed out, Svea curled up on Timo's chest and Mathilde curled around a pillow, with Lukas balled up in a beanbag chair. "Looks like I missed a killer after party," he said with a yawn, laying back down on the bed and falling back asleep to get rid of the headache.


	19. Square One

It's two days late due to a huge paper and project that was due Thursday, so I haven't really worked on this. I mean, this chapter's been done for a bit buuuut... you know what I mean.

AS A RESULT YA'LL GET A DOUBLE UPDATE TODAY. I'll probably upload chapter twenty after I go back to my hometown for break.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Square One_

"So, does someone want to tell me how you both seem to know so much about breaking into the school?" Svea crossed her arms, shaking her head as Mathilde began to mess with the lock on the back door.

Mathilde smirked as Timo laughed. "Common knowledge the back camera's been broken since the Archery Incident of Freshman year," Timo explained.

"Kiet's aim is as bad as his taste in men," Mathilde snickered.

"And you know how to pick a lock how?"

"Sometimes," Mathilde began, "my wicked stepmother would lock me out to spite me because she's actually a huge fucking bitch. I learned how to pick the locks on my front door." In reality, it was because Rosie had done time in a Colombian prison, and she taught Mathilde a few things when she was little. However, mentioning her housekeeper wouldn't go over well in this group.

"God, you make your life sound like a Grimm fairytale," Lukas said as he jabbed her in the side. She laughed, jabbing him back. Erikur looked over at Svea and Timo, who just shrugged.

"Cinderella had it easy compared to living with Shayla the Horrible," Mathilde sneered. "She's terrible." Erikur snorted loudly and Mathilde turned to face him. "What?"

"Nothing, just… I doubt she can be _that_ bad." Erikur tried to hide his annoyance with Mathilde's claims. Mathilde shrugged it off and mumbled to herself as she returned to working on the lock. Finally, she jiggled the handle and the door opened. "Nice," Erikur complimented.

"Like I said, I've had a lot of experience." Mathilde tossed the bobby pin aside and entered the dark school. Svea followed in, with the trio of boys close behind. "Okay, so, the Janitor never locks his office and he leaves the keys on his desk," Mathilde explained. "Let' s go, Svea. Boys, meet us buy the balcony doors in the hallway between the gym and the music wing."

The group split up. "You've done this before." Mathilde grinned at Svea. "Care to explain?" Svea asked as they made their way towards the back stairwell.

"If I told you," Mathilde began. "Jake would be unhappy, in case you tell Camille. He's trying to not look like such a little delinquent for her." Svea rolled her eyes.

"Please, Cami is so helplessly in love with your hyper little friend, she wouldn't even care."

"What a coincidence, Jake is head over heels for her too! It's like watching our future children date!" Mathilde laughed loudly, which elicited a small chuckle from Svea. "Seriously, though, they're ridiculous. It's gross."

"Oh, please, don't act like you _wouldn't_ want some kind of relationship like that." Svea crossed her arms. Mathilde shrugged.

"I'm only sixteen. I'm not sure even sure what I want to do tomorrow, let alone in life," Mathilde admitted. "Hell, I'm not even sure what I want to do for prom."

"Worried about a dress?"

Mathilde wasn't worried about the dress at all. She knew she could afford even some designer, couture gown if she so wanted. Svea's tone was sweet, but Mathilde was annoyed because she read into it as taunting, perhaps trying to call her poor. "I mean, I don't even think I've thought about it. Chances are I'm not going."

"Not going to prom?" Svea shrieked. "What?"

"Yeah, well, Jake and Cami can't go since they're sophomores, and I'm pretty sure the one guy I want to ask me, is going to ask his crush," Mathilde grumbled, pouting as they reached the Janitor's office. "Plus, Kiet is trying to work a shift that night, since he's kind of salty about one thing or another."

Svea entered the room, turning on the light as Mathilde approached the desk, grabbing the keys. Svea hummed, tapping her chin.

"What about Lukas?"

Mathilde froze and whirled around. Svea laughed as she sputtered dropping the keys and continuing to babble about one thing or another. "Oh, calm down, I was teasing," Svea said, winking at Mathilde. "But, he seems like he could be a candidate for prom date."

"As if! Get real, he'll probably take his friend, the Indre girl. Or not go at all. Probably will be too busy studying."

"You never know," Svea replied, in a singsong voice. Picking up the keys, she waved to Mathilde. "Come on, the boys are waiting."

 **x x x**

"You see anything?"

"No, the gym is dark and empty," Erikur replied, collapsing back onto the floor of the balcony. Mathilde took a sip of her water. "We've been here two hours and nothing. Are you two _sure_ they said this Saturday?"

"Positive," Timo and Svea replied in sync. They exchanged confused looks before looking away. Erikur blinked, then smirked as he chuckled to himself.

"You too looked awfully cute cuddling this morning," he joked. Svea turned bright red, clenching her fists as she shook her head. "Should I start dubbing you two the new power couple?"

"Shut up," Svea snapped. "Need I remind you who got shitfaced and can't remember most of last night?" Erikur shrugged, but his smirk didn't fade. "Yeah, thought so."

"It's really sad, you missed our game of truth or dare," Mathilde joked. "We learned so much about each other. Timo's actually in love with Miss McGee, the science teacher. He wants to be a cat dad so bad."

"I swear to God, that inside joke is getting so old, Thilde," Timo grumbled. "Like I would _ever_ want to sleep with her. Not even for a good grade."

"You're salty she favors Lukas because of his grades."

"Sorry, Väinämöinen, but she's mine," Lukas teased, winking at the others as they all began to laugh. Timo huffed, crossing his arm Svea rolled her eyes.

"Anya will be _so_ disappointed," she mumbled. Mathilde's head tilted as Timo tapped his chin.

"So, she's really into me, huh?" Timo asked. Svea frowned, crossing her arms as she huffed.

"I don't see why, but yes," Svea groaned. "She thinks you're, uh, _hot_ , so I guess…"

"Great, as if Timo needed his ego inflated anymore!" Mathilde chided, elbowing Svea. "Anya Braginskaya, huh? Last I heard, she had a thing for the senior, Yao Wang. What's up with that?"

Svea sighed. "It's… complicated. They weren't ever truly _together_ , but like… they were. But, Yao insisted they call shit off, just because he's graduating in a couple months."

"I mean, I guess I understand," Erikur mumbled. "It sucks, when you like… you could have something good with someone, but then like you realize that they'll be graduating in May, and…"

"You talk like you know a lot about this," Lukas interrupted. Erikur flushed, looking at his hands as they rested in his lap.

"I know about crushing on a senior," Erikur snorted. "I may have never dated anyone, but I definitely crush."

"Are you crushing now?" Svea asked, smiling at her friend as Erikur flushed. "He is! He's blushing! He's a senior, isn't he?"

"That's all you're getting out of me, Svea!" Erikur said with a laugh, holding up his hands.

Svea whined, nudging him gently as he shook his head. "Come on, Eri!" Erikur shook his head and the group chuckled, when the creaking of the doors echoed throughout the dark gym and the heavy doors swung open, slamming against the wall. The group quickly silenced themselves as Timo crept over, peering over the balcony.

"I see two people," he whispered.

"How'd you get keys?" a voice asked, echoing throughout the dark gym. Erikur looked over at the group.

"That's Manuel." Timo blinked, before turning back to peer over the balcony's ledge. He nods as the rest of the group shifts around. "What's up?"

"Alfred is Jonah's fucking prodigy, so he can get his keys whenever," Afonso sneered. "Wait here. I'm going up in the bleachers. Close your eyes."

"Don't die," Manuel joked, covering his eyes as he turned his back to the bleachers. Timo turned to face the group. Svea rolled her eyes, shooting him a dirty look as he shrugged. Mathilde crawled over, kneeling by the ledge as she tried to look at the scene.

"Why is he lighting candles? Is this committing arson? A little extreme…"

"What?" Svea asked. Everyone scooted over and finally, Lukas stood up and frowned, crossing his arms.

"Guys, you might wanna see this."

"Let's fucking get them!" Timo jumped to his feet as everyone else slowly stood up, but his smile fell as Afonso cleared his throat.

"Open them, Manny!"

Along the bleachers, there were two rows of candles leading up Afonso, who held a bouquet of roses. Svea gasped quietly as Mathilde huffed. "So, uh, I planned this kind of romantic night in. We have a picnic set up, as well as a movie projector and screen… and I wanted to know… if you'd go to prom with me?"

"It's a promposal…" Mathilde mumbled. Erikur groaned, resisting the urge to kick the wall. "We fucking crashed a promposal." Svea turned and stormed out of the balcony, back down the stairs into the hallway. Everyone slowly followed her as she made her way to the exit.

"Un-fucking-believable."

Storming into the parking lot, Svea stomped her foot as Mathilde crossed her arms. "Okay, so it's not them, but…"

"Don't you fucking get it?" Svea shouted, turning towards Mathilde. "That means it's not Alfred either. He fucking helped Afonso set that up! We literally are back to square one, with no other goddam suspects besides two of Lukas' friends! And what if _they_ didn't do it? Then what?"

"Svea, calm down," Lukas shouted. "We're going to figure this out. Just calm down!"

"How the hell can I calm down? We wasted so much time investigating them and they just wanted to fucking be together! Jesus fucking Christ!" She ripped off the black hat, throwing it onto the ground. Mathilde shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, so, maybe we're going about this all wrong, too," Erikur suggested. "I mean, let's be honest… _nobody_ likes Coach Jonah, but… what if there's somebody out there that doesn't like _us_?"

"How can someone hate all five of us?" Timo asked. "It seems that we all have such a variety of friends, that one of us would be associated to someone in a way. Besides, some of us are more pleasant than others."

"I'm just saying," Erikur explained, "that they have to know our heritage, know that we all have our own vendettas against Jonah… and maybe someone does associate with them, but have you ever heard of being twofaced?"

"Okay, well, that's the issue," Svea shouted. "We don't have time to go through every person we've ever pissed off. That's quite a long list for some of us."

"My money's on Jan van Dijk," Lukas added, earning a glare from Mathilde. "He doesn't particularly care for anyone, and he fucking carries a bag around after school all the damn time, which puts him at the scene of the crime everytime…"

"Lukas, shut the fuck up," Mathilde shouted. "You don't fucking know Jan, okay? I can attest that he is _not_ behind this. Jan may not be sociable, but he has better shit to do than waste his time framing us."

"Then what's with the shady after-school activities? What's in the bag?" Mathilde didn't reply and everyone groaned. Lukas tapped his chin.

"Okay, listen…" Erikur stepped forward. "Let's do this. Think of five people you have pissed off or do not get along with and then Monday, let's meet in the lunchroom and compare the lists. If we can even find someone that only four of us have conflict with, that may be a step in the right direction. Sound good?"

"Yeah," everyone mumbled in agreement. They stood in silence, before the group began to depart to their different cars. Erikur went over to Lukas' car, sliding into the passenger seat as Lukas started up the engine.

"This was a bust," Erikur whispered, even though he knew only Lukas could hear. Lukas just shook his head.

"We better get this shit straightened out, and soon," Lukas warned. "Otherwise, we're all in for a rude fucking awakening."


	20. Crush

sun and moon came out today so if i just get really irregular with uploading... that's why.

a lot happened her but eh.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Crush_

"Good morning, my lovely boys! How are you this fine morning?"

Mathilde smiled as she approached the group sitting on the hood of Jan's car. Jan rolled his eyes as Jake waved. Kiet frowned, throwing his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it with vigor. He slung his bag over his shoulder and Mathilde raised an eyebrow. "I gotta go talk to someone." He pushed past Mathilde, bumping shoulders a bit _too_ hard.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" Jan grumbled. Jake shrugged. "You piss him off or something, Thilde?"

"No, but I should talk to him, he seemed a bit upset at me Friday night." Jake frowned as Mathilde sighed loudly.

"Probably because you let that good-for-nothing jock and 'God's gift to the school' come to the party." Mathilde glared as Jan took a drag from his cigarette, but said nothing as she turned and followed Kiet. She reached his locker, where he was busy sorting his books out.

"Did I piss you off?" she asked. "Because last I checked, I didn't do a damn thing to you."

"Oh, don't play the 'I'm too innocent to know what I did wrong,' card, Mathilde," Kiet spat, slamming his locker shut as he turned to face her. "You were probably in on it, seeing as how you're _best friends_ with him now."

"I'm really fucking confused," Mathilde admitted, throwing up her hands. "Best friends with _who_?"

"Steilsson."

"Are you mad I invited him to the party?"

"I wasn't until you two decided to play some sick little joke on me," Kiet shouted. A few students' eyes turned towards them as Mathilde tilted her head. "He was fine. He even apologized, but was that part of the silly little prank you two decided to pull?"

Mathilde groaned, about ready to pull out her own hair. "Kiet, I am so fucking lost, what prank?"

"You left him alone with me so he could execute it, didn't you?"

"Is this about how drunk Eri got? Because trust me, that kid browned out during that whole shit show in the bathroom." Kiet scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm dead serious, Ki. I have no idea what prank you're referring to."

"Please, we all know when you drink you think it's funny to get straight boys to kiss me and he was so drunk he'd have agreed to it!"

Mathilde blinked. Her jaw dropped as Kiet blinked in response. "First, that was _one time_ , and newsflash, I wouldn't say Francis is straight. I think he's pan," Mathilde tapped her chin, but that wasn't important. "Second, I'm sorry… but what?"

"…you didn't know?" Kiet asked. "You didn't know Steilsson kissed me?"

"Holy shit, he did?" Mathilde swore this was a dream. There was no way in hell this was actually a thing. The sentence played over in her head and suddenly, her wheels began to turn. _Eri said he had a crush on a senior… he said we was jealous of Kiet… he kissed Kiet… wait a fucking minute…_

Kiet frowned. "Well, maybe you didn't know, but I bet he was doing it to be an asshole."

"No, trust me, it's not that," Mathilde insisted. Kiet rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, right, with how in love you two are, I can't believe that." Mathilde shook her head. "And if it's not you, it's Svea or one of his other female friends. The girl he brought to the party, maybe…"

"No, Ki, listen, none of us stand a chance…"

"Probably because his standards are too high."

"They might be," Mathilde admitted, "but it's not because we don't meet them. Trust me, I'm a gem, and I know it." Kiet snorted, shaking his head.

"And I thought he was trying to be _sincere_ when he apologized."

"He was! I know he was! Listen, just, the kiss… it wasn't to mock you…" Mathilde grabbed his arm as he tried to walk away. "Okay, listen, just… don't get pissed."

"I don't know where you think you get this shit from, because he definitely was mocking me and it definitely… he definitely is straight so…"

"Oh my good fucking God," Mathilde shouted. "Your gaydar is ass for someone who's been out for years!"

Mathilde covered her mouth as Kiet raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Okay, you can't tell _anyone_ , and I can't believe I just outted someone without their permission, but…" Mathilde lowered her voice, saying, "Erikur isn't straight. That's why Svea and I don't stand a chance. We aren't his type because he's into boys."

Kiet shook her off. "Fucking hell, just… leave me alone, okay? This has to be some fucked up prank."

Mathilde watched as her friend turned his back to her and stormed down the hallway.

This was going to be a great day, she could tell.

 **x x x**

"You're late."

Mathilde flipped Timo off as she took a seat. "I had to deal with some shit." Mathilde could feel Erikur's eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. She had to think about how to address the subject of _your drunk ass kissed my friend and he freaked out because he thought we were being assholes but then I outted you to him and he freaked out even more_.

"Well, since you were late, tell us the five people who hate you the most."

"Oh shit, uh, yeah," she muttered, pulling out her phone. "Raya Hristova, due to the fact she got caught changing my grades and got suspended for a few weeks… uh, Feliks… because of the Great Sophomore Food Fight incident that I blamed him for…"

"That was you?" Svea asked.

"Ch'yeah, pretty sweet, huh?" she asked, smirking at the group as Svea shook her head. "Eddie von Bock, probably because I call him Eddie and told everyone he had a crush on Mariya…"

"So you're a blabbermouth," Erikur joked. Mathilde paled. "Kidding, Jesus…"

"Uh… where was I? Oh, uh… Anya Braginskaya because… I think we just didn't get along that one time we had to work together for a group project, and Manon van Dijk, We've hated each other for years. I straight up cannot stand her."

"Oh, Anya doesn't hate you," Svea explained. "She was, uh… that was during the Yao issue…"

"Oh, well, never mind then." Mathilde shoved her phone in her pocket. Lukas hummed as he looked down at his notebook. "So, what's the conclusion?"

"Feliks is worth checking out, seeing as he hates me, you, Timo, and Eri… Svea doesn't interact with him."

"He hates Anya, that's all I know."

"Anya used to bully Indre, that's why." Lukas shrugged. "He still has a thing for her. I never understood why he like… stopped being her friend." Everyone stayed quiet and Lukas shook his head. "Okay, well, what should we do?"

"Just corner his ass after school and beat him up?" Mathilde smirked as she punched her left hand, cackling as Erikur rolled his eyes.

"I think Mathilde is right," Svea admitted. Everyone's jaw dropped. "About cornering him! Not about kicking his ass! I will help corner, but I don't think all of us should. Maybe Lukas and I? I trust our temperaments."

"You don't know Brainiac very well then," Mathilde teased, leaning over to pinch his cheeks. "He can be pretty aggressive."

"Shut up, Idiot," he muttered.

"See?"

"That's fine with me." Erikur waved off Lukas and Mathilde's interaction to respond to Svea. Timo nodded, rubbing his hands together.

"Let's get back on track."

 **x x x**

"Hey, uh, Eri, can I talk to you?"

Mathilde grabbed the younger male's arm before they entered the library for their daily detention. Erikur blinked, taken aback by how serious she sounded. "I guess, when?"

"Like, let's say… we're planning a confrontation for Jan and we need to work on it together…"

"Or just be honest and not lie, seriously, just tell me what's up now if it's that big of a deal you can't wait until after detention."

"I outted you."

Erikur sputtered, clenching his fists. "You fucking did _what_?" he shouted. She shushed him, covering his mouth with her hand. He turned bright red and she pulled her hand away. "Fucking hell, Mathilde."

"It was to one person!" she screeched. "I didn't mean to, I swear! It came out during an argument and…"

"Who the hell were you arguing with and what the actual fuck were you arguing about that you had to tell them my fucking sexuality?"

"Kiet Sripuy."

Erikur immediately calmed down, unclenching his fists. "Oh… uh… so, what did he say?"

"He thinks you and I are playing a joke on him because you apparently kissed him last Friday and he thought I put you up to it, then said you were an asshole who only kissed him to mock him and said you only liked girls and I was trying to defend you and…"

Erikur's eyes widened. "I did _what_?"

"You kissed Kiet," she repeated. "Like, I don't know if it was a peck or if there was tongue action or what was up but I guess you kissed him when you were alone in the bathroom with him and I'm _so sorry_."

"I kissed him?"

Mathilde rolled her eyes. "For fuck's sake, can we go back to being mad? I fucked up! I outted you to someone and I had no business doing that!"

"I can't believe I kissed him and I don't even remember."

Erikur frowned as soon as the sentence left his mouth and Mathilde looked into the library through the windows on the door. "Hey, uh… remember Saturday, when you said you had a crush on a senior…"

"Yeah." Erikur flushed, lowering his head. "I'm _really_ immature. Not only was a jealous of him getting to be who he was without having to deal with unsupportive parents and the idea he has to be an example of heteronormative bullshit, I also was an ass because…"

"You liked him," Mathilde finished.

"Like, present tense," Erikur murmured. "And so I had my first kiss with my crush and I don't remember and now it sounds like he hates my guts again… and I tried so hard to make peace…"

"Okay, so," Mathilde placed a hand on his shoulders. "I got this. I'll clear this up, and then… well, if I can set you up…"

"I have a feeling having you meddle in my love life is a bad idea."

"It's a _great_ idea!" Mathilde retorted. Erikur frowned.

"You can't even figure out your feelings for Jan and Lukas…"

"Lukas? He has nothing to do with this!"

"You two totally flirt!"

"Densen! Steilsson!" Mr. Willie shouted, opening the door. "Are you two going to lollygag or are you going to join us?"

"Sorry, sir," they both replied in unison, walking into the library in silence. Once Willie saw they had sat down at the table, he returned to the librarian's office, leaving the five alone. Mathilde glared at Erikur as he shrugged, obviously not in the mood to explain his hypothesis to her.

Mathilde sank lower in her seat. This day was shaping out to be terrible.

 **x x x**

"So, Svea and I are actually gonna corner Feliks before school, because detention and tutoring and all… also, you're doing the matrices wrong."

Mathilde sighed, dropping her pencil as Lukas frowned. "Hey, you seem upset. What's wrong?" Mathilde shook her head as Lukas leaned back in his chair. "Something's up. You've been in a pissy mood since breakfast."

"I had a fight with Kiet, then I fucked Erikur over, and then he pissed me off."

"Full day," Lukas replied, adjusting his glasses as he closed his book, setting it down on the floor next to his feet. "Start from the beginning."

"I can't tell you, because the fight led to me fucking Eri over and pissing Kiet off, which then led to Erikur pissing me off." Mathilde groaned as she slammed her head onto the notebook in front of her. "I literally don't even know why I bother."

"Relax, it'll work itself out," Lukas said, placing a hand on her back. She relaxed as his hand made contact with her, sitting up to look over at Lukas. "Kiet will come around, you'll just have explain everything."

"Are you going to be a therapist or something?"

Lukas rolled his eyes. "I hate them, personally. I had a lot of emotional baggage when my dad left and the whole teen alcoholic thing were enough to send me to a few assholes. I stopped going."

"Why?"

"Well, why waste money to go sit with an asshole you can't stand and don't want to talk to?" Lukas replied. "Plus, when my mom didn't have to foot that bill, she quit her job and was able to do as she pleased, so it made her happy."

"Maybe I should've gotten a shrink," Mathilde admitted. "I mean, not like I need one. My mom's death didn't impact me much. She wasn't really around. Rosie raised me, practically. I'd be lost without her."

Lukas hummed in thought, looking down at his hands. "I think we got some fucked up parents," he admitted.

"I tried to run away when I was ten." Mathilde shrugged. "Rosie found me. She told me she only stayed in the house for me. She wasn't going to leave until I left, and then after that, she would still be there for me, if I needed her."

"She seems nice." Lukas shifted, still uncomfortable at the fact that Mathilde was privileged enough to have a house keeping-chef-nanny person in her life, but he assumed that Rosie was the reason she was so down-to-earth.

"She's amazing, and her food…" Mathilde let out a noise that was borderline erotic. "She's also such a bad ass. You should stay for dinner. Ask her about Colombia, she was in prison there."

"I don't know," Lukas muttered.

"Come on, Lu, I know you don't eat a ton as is, so feeding you isn't an issue." She winked and he rolled his eyes, gently pushing her as she chuckled. He fought the small smile that was involuntarily lighting up his face and Mathilde inwardly sighed.

"Whatever, fine," he said. "I'll stay."

"I'll go tell Rosie! Actually, dinner may be ready soon, so come on!"

Mathilde grabbed Lukas' hand, dragging him from her room and down the stairs. They bolted across the large foyer into a rather large, pristine kitchen where Rosie stood at the stove, stirring something in a pot as she turned around.

"I can hear you running around, be careful. You'll break something." Rosie smirked.

"Lukas can stay for dinner, right?"

Rosie nodded. "Of course, I was wondering when you were going to have your little boyfriend stay for dinner."

"What?" Mathilde sputtered. Lukas rolled his eyes.

"I'm just a friend. We're not dating," he replied nonchalantly. Mathilde turned bright red and the black haired woman smirked at her. "But thank you for letting me stay, ma'am."

"It's not big deal, Mr. and Mrs. Densen don't eat with us, anyway." Rosie turned back, removing what looked like a small, cooked chicken from the oven. Lukas blinked, his stomach grumbling as Rosie continued, "Besides, we like it better that way, right, Mathilde?"

"Duh," she replied.

"Go set the table, Sweetie," Rosie commanded. "Don't make our guest do it, either. I raised you better than that."

"But he's already doing my homework!" Mathilde joked, disappearing through a doorway into what Lukas assumed was the dining room. Lukas followed her and they chatted idly until Rosie entered with rice, some kind of sauce to put on said rice, and chicken for them to eat. They ate, with Mathilde talking a lot, Rosie occasionally making a joke, and Lukas listening. Rosie offered them a glass of wine, which Mathilde took, but Lukas decided against.

The front door flew open and Rosie frowned. "Sounds like Mr. Densen is home," she explained. "Slamming doors means he had a bad day…"

"Rosie!" a feminine voice shouted.

"And the she-devil is here too," Mathilde mumbled.

Rosie sighed as the door to the dining room flew open, slamming against the wall. Rosie rose to her feet, forcing a smile. "Good evening, sir, ma'am… would you like to join us? Mathilde was just telling me about…"

Mr. Densen was a balding man, who looked about fifty or so, and wore an expression that was just hateful. "Who is that?" Mrs. Densen placed a bony hand on her equally bony hip. Lukas immediately didn't like them.

"Oh, uh, Daddy…" Mathilde's voice went up about two octaves. Lukas raised an eyebrow as she motioned to him. "This is my math tutor and friend. He's really good. My grades should improve soon."

"He looks like trailer trash," her father deadpanned, glaring at Lukas. "Rosie, you've been letting my daughter hang around trash?" Rosie's smile remained plastered on her face, but Lukas and Mathilde could see that her eyes held the venom of a woman who wanted to kill.

"You said as long as she got her grades up," Rosie reminded him gently. "And Lukas is quite the teacher. Mathilde got an A on her last quiz, did you know?" Mrs. Densen laughed (more like cackled).

"Probably fucked the grade out of the teacher," she hissed.

"Well, considering the fact you've fucked a lot of shit out of people…" Mathilde started.

"That's enough," Rosie scolded. Mr. Densen scowled, but said nothing. "Uh, sir, ma'am… perhaps we can wait until after our dinner guest is gone?"

"I'll be in my study, bring me my dinner in two hours," Mr. Densen announced, leaving the kitchen. Mrs. Densen smirked.

"Oh, you are so lucky that the maid bitch called you off, Mathilde," she sneered at Mathilde. Mathilde rolled her eyes as Rosie smirked. "You're so, so lucky."

"She's also lucky that she doesn't need Botox to be beautiful, although, you may have over did it today, Shayla." Rosie smirked as Shayla sputtered. "Now, I'll make you dinner later as well. Excuse me while I finish mine."

"Burn, bitch." Mathilde snickered after shouting the comment.

Lukas watched as Shayla scowled and stormed out of the dining room. He couldn't help but watch as Rosie and Mathilde exchanged triumphant smiles, and feel envious that Mathilde had someone like Rosie in her life.

 **x x x**

"So, like, when my mom died, my dad and her were like, so cheating on each other, and Shayla was the mistress trying to fuck her way into the family fortune. Luckily, Dad gave most of it to me in order to keep me off his back after graduation…"

Lukas frowned as he popped a handful of popcorn into his mouth as the two laid on their stomachs on Mathilde's bed, the glow of the television illuminating the room. "She's a bitch."

"Right?" Mathilde agreed. "And then, like, my dad totally ignores it unless it like, starts to interfere with his life and then he takes her side. It's so lame." She frowned. "Also, uh… sorry about the trailer trash thing… my dad is classist."

"I've heard worst," Lukas replied. Mathilde stuck her hand in the bowl, grabbing a bit more than her hand could hold. "I'm used to it too. Like, I recognize I'm poor, white trash… you saw my house. That was embarrassing. You have a fucking mansion, and Svea and Eri probably have really nice houses."

"Your house was amazing," Mathilde shot back. "God, like, I long to live in like a regular neighborhood in a regular sized house. This place is way too big for a family of three. Rosie doesn't even live here, you know? It's so empty."

"I mean, it's still embarrassing for me."

"Hey, I don't think any less of you for your socioeconomic status, and I am here to empower you." She beamed. "That's social work talk."

"You're interested in social work? What about the mermaid thing?"

"I mean, in the long run, social work seems like a more rewarding career than cooking or being a mermaid. I want to help kids get adopted!" Mathilde said. "I want to find families that what to help raise kids and give them all they can in terms of love and affection and help them get kids! I mean, not as much as I want to be a mermaid or even a baker, though… but I don't know…"

Lukas smiled and Mathilde flushed at how genuine his smile is. "You're really nice, you know?" Lukas said. "At first, I thought you were this huge bitch… but now you're only a normal bitch."

"Gee, that makes me feel better." Mathilde snorted as she nudged Lukas with her shoulder. He frowned, sitting up as he crossed his arms. Mathilde didn't move, turning her attention back to the movie. "What?"

Suddenly, something smacked her in the back as she jumped up, knocking the popcorn onto the floor. Her heart stopped as Lukas sat next to her, a pillow in his left hand as he smirked.

Erikur's words echoed in her head, but she pushed the thought out of her mind, grabbing another pillow. "It's so fucking on."


	21. Confrontations

The ONLY reason this is up now instead of yesterday or earlier today is because I was playing Pokémon Moon because I wanted to jump right into my Nuzlocke for it.

Bad idea I'm constantly getting blown back.

I've kind of hit a wall in general for all work, so this break is nice to leave a stressful situation in my apartment and hang out, so definitely some R&R will help my mental block... but now the issue is I have Pokémon Sun and Moon and that's very distracting whoops.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Confrontations_

"Svea, hey."

Svea groaned as she turned her attention from her phone, crossing her arms as Alfred stood across from her. "Great, what do you want?"

"You're acting like a bitch."

"You tell people I'm a slut, I think I have a right." Svea rolled her eyes. Alfred snorted, crossing his arms.

"You slept with two different guys yesterday, and somebody else Sunday for money. You're not a slut, just a whore." Alfred's words stung and she winced. "So, how much is Väinämöinen paying you?"

"Excuse me?" she spat. "First, who I do or do not sleep with is not any of your business. Second, my relationship with Timo or lack thereof is also none of your business." She rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable. I'm so over this."

"So you're fucking a nobody now? That's how desperate you are?"

"We're just friends," Svea grumbled. "And even if I was fucking him, it's… none of your concern, as previously stated. Besides, you've been acting weird. Getting Erikur trashed last weekend?"

"He was already shitfaced when he came to talk to me."

"And you kept feeding him shots why?"

"Hey, kid needs to know his limits." Svea fumed and shook her head. She tried to step around Alfred, but he cut her off, pushing her back against his car. "Look, I wanted to talk about us."

"Oh, funny, because last I recall, there is no 'us' and I told you I was done with your shit last Friday."

"That was the alcohol talking."

"Well," Svea started. "I'm sober now and I'm saying it again: I am done with you, Alfred Franklin Jones!"

"Don't say that." Alfred grabbed her arms, stepping closer. "Look, I know we weren't a good official couple, but yeah, I'm jealous. The other guys… Erikur… the nerd and punk… it makes my blood boil. I've always provided for you, and you know I pay the best. Let's make a deal – exclusively sleep together?"

Svea rolled her eyes. "Ridiculous."

"Svea, I care about you, and I appreciate you in my circle," Alfred explained. "But, we know that it's been a real bitch to keep up your rich, spoiled façade… and I want you to be able to help your dad… so let me help you."

Svea huffed and he leaned in, capturing his lips in a heated and messy kiss. Moments passed and he broke it off. She sighed. "Fine."

"I'll see you tonight at eight, and wear that bra… the cute one I bought you for Christmas." Alfred winked, walking away as Svea leaned against her car. Her stomach dropped and she felt like shit.

This day could not get any worse.

 **x x x**

"He keeps glaring."

Mathilde and Lukas both yawned as they turned their attention to Timo. "Lukas, you should fight his ass," Timo insisted, motioning to Feliks. "Like, look at that, he's practically asking for it!"

"Too tired," Lukas mumbled.

"He lost the pillow fight last night."

Timo blinked, mouthing _oh-kay_ as Svea approached the group. "Svea, tell Lukas to fight Feliks," he insisted.

"Why should he fight Feliks?"

"He keeps giving him dirty looks! He's asking for it!"

Svea shook her head. "The point of confronting him is to not start a fight. Jesus, Timo." She rubbed her temples. A headache was definitely coming on right now. "We can, I don't know, talk to him, like normal humans. Use our words, maybe?"

"People use words?" Timo slapped his forehead, gasping dramatically as Svea groaned. "Wow, I had _no_ idea." Svea rolled her eyes and turned her back towards the three, walking over to where Feliks stood. She forced a smile, waving to him as he blinked.

"Svea, hi," he greeted her, looking over her shoulder at the trio she had been talking to. "Uh… didn't know you ran with that crowd…"

"Well, we spend a lot of time together," she explained, crossing her arms. "A lot of time being punished for something I'm certain none of us did. Maybe, just maybe, someone else did it, trying to see if they could pass the blame off onto someone else?"

Feliks frowned. "Oh, let me guess. Thomassen thinks I'm trying to blame him?"

"Well, you certainly don't have bad blood with just him." Feliks shrugged, looking over her shoulder again. "So, what's up?"

"I swear, it's not me." Feliks tapped his foot. "I can give you my alibi and you can check it out. But, I think you're right… someone's framing one or some of you. Even I know Timo Väinämöinen isn't a total asshole. Come on, the dude is best friends with Elizabeta and Eduard! Those two would never let him do that."

Svea blinked. "Eduard told me he was doing some investigating for Timo."

"I didn't know you and Eduard were close," Svea replied.

"Well, it's hard to explain…" Feliks rubbed the back of his head. "Eduard… he's still good with Indre… and like, I fucked up two years ago, so like, I try to get info from him to make things right, but…"

"So, stop right there." Svea smirked, holding up her hand. "You give me your alibi. If it checks out, then I'll give you a deal. You help be the eyes and ears."

"What's in it for me?"

Svea motioned behind her. "You know Indre is next door neighbors with Lukas and they're friends too, right?" Feliks nodded, his scowl ever present. "So, I know for a fact, Lukas doesn't see Indre like that, and… she might just be using him as a placeholder for another blond boy…"

Svea hoped her lie helped him take the bait. Feliks quirked an eyebrow, his sour expression fading. "And?"

"Lukas can help you make up with her _and_ help you ask her to prom, with a bit of insight from me, of course. Lukas!" Svea waved him over and the boy grumbled, slowly walking over. "Lu, if Feliks' alibi checks out and he agrees to help us, you can get him back on Indre's good side, yeah?"

Lukas just immediately nodded. "Definitely."

"And help with a killer promposal for her?"

"She likes cupcakes, so just use those and she'll say yes," Lukas said without hesitation. Feliks nodded.

"Okay, fine, I'm in…"

Svea held out her hand. "Pleasure doing business. Send me all the information needed and we'll be in contact."

 **x x x**

"It was that easy?"

Svea frowned as Erikur tilted his head. She had noted that his left check was swollen and bruised, as well as a laceration on his left arm. "Yeah, and, I checked out the alibi." Svea sighed, looking down at the time sheets Feliks had gave her at the start of the lunch period. "It all checks out. I called during lunch and they confirmed everything, even sent me an email confirmation on these hours."

"And he's going to be the eyes and ears for us?"

"Yeah," Mathilde confirmed. "He's so social and gossipy, that people just will somehow tell him anything and everything. It's great to have him on our side. He even said he was sure we're being framed."

"So, uh, Erikur, you gonna tell us what happened to your face? Or, let me guess, you 'ran into another door.'" Lukas rolled his eyes as Erikur huffed, covering the laceration with his hand as best as he could.

"It's nothing. It just… sometimes, it happens."

"Are you bullied in school? Like, I know Jones got you drunk, but does he like, corner your ass and take your lunch money?" Timo asked, perched on the top of the back of his chair, trying to steady his balance before it tipped over.

"It's not that, it's fine," Erikur snapped. "Come on, just… don't…"

"Don't what? Push the issue that this is the third time that I can remember you coming to school with significant, visual bruising and cuts?" Svea shouted. She covered her mouth and looked over at the office. "Erikur, come on! We're not stupid!"

"I said it's fine, and that's that. Now leave the subject alone!"

"What's going on?" Willie's head popped out from the doorway and everyone grew quiet. Timo fell backwards, tumbling away from the table as the vice-principal sighed. "Watch it, Väinämöinen."

When he disappeared, Mathilde shook her head as Timo stood up. "I don't believe you," she told him. "I don't believe you one bit."

Erikur frowned. "Well, you better… I don't know what else to say."

 **x x x**

"Hey, Ki!"

Kiet scowled as he opened the door to his apartment. "What do you want?" he hissed. Mathilde tried to keep her smile from faltering, but it was hard with how angry he looked. She had never seen him this upset.

"I wanted to talk about yesterday."

"I don't think we need to."

"Listen, I wasn't lying," Mathilde insisted. "Erikur… he _is_ kind of a brat. He's like those boys in kindergarten that pulls the ponytail of the girl they like. He's totally in a super heteronormative environment with the fact he's an athlete, and… he doesn't have a support system at home, I think."

She pretty much knew the last one was true. In fact, she assumed his parents did a lot more than not support him…

"So, like, he's kind of in the closet. Really far in the closet. Like, 'in Narnia fighting a war' deep. That far in." Kiet snorted, which helped ease her nerves. "But like, he says you're hot."

"Okay, cool, and how do I know he's not doing this to be an ass?"

Mathilde rolled her eyes. "Because, trust me, if there's one thing we have made Erikur become during this antagonizing detention hell, I think it's honest. He told me he was jealous you could be who you are, when he's like… he feels he has to hide?"

"Not my problem," Kiet said, waving it off. Mathilde frowned.

"Well, he kind of sort of has a huge crush on you. Like, was upset you're graduating and he's only admired you from afar kind of crush. Like, teen romance movie trope shit."

Kiet rolled his eyes and Mathilde offered a sheepish grin. "Okay, so, you think I'm interested in this asshole _why_?" Kiet snarled.

"You'd like him," Mathilde insisted. "I mean, he comes off as unlikeable, but I think it's a defense mechanism. He's not that bad, and besides, you like tall, athletic white boys with light hair and eyes who could probably pin you to the bed and…"

"Mathilde Wilhelmina," Kiet warned. Mathilde smirked as Kiet shook his head. "Okay, but… I don't fuck with boys in the closet anymore."

"I think he'd come out, just for you," Mathilde said thoughtfully. "At least to the school. His parents are… traditional, I think." Kiet crossed his arms. "If he talked to you, would you consider it?"

Kiet looked down at his watch, shrugging. "Whatever. Maybe."

"Are we cool?" Mathilde asked. "I mean, I know there was a lot of miscommunication, but you're like, my best friend, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt your feelings…"

Kiet finally smiled, pulling Mathilde in for a quick hug. "Yeah, we're cool."


	22. Traitor

Between the holidays and Pokemon, I kind of just was unmotivated to work on this, but here we are. It's a few days late, but you know, it's chill lol.

Hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving enjoyed it and ate a ton of food, and if you don't celebrate it... I still hope you ate a lot of food.

This chapter is REALLY short. That's really because I felt like this part didn't fit at the end of 21 and it wouldn't have fit at the start of 23. Oops and oh well.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Traitor_

"Detention is starting to really bore the shit out of me."

Mathilde shrugged, reaching over and brushing a strand of Svea's hair with her fingers as Timo sank lower in his seat. "Yeah. God, I wish we could catch the culprit soon. Hey, Svea, can I braid your hair? I can do a sick waterfall braid…"

Svea nodded and Mathilde cheered, scooting her chair over as she reached into her bag, pulling out a brush. Erikur shrugged. "Any news on Raya and Traian?"

Lukas shrugged. "They were acting weird. I mean, weirder than normal." Lukas flipped a page in his book as Svea sighed. "I guess they were going to be in the computer lab today after school…"

Timo looked over at the clock. Detention had been going on for five minutes, if even, and he was itching to do something entertaining. "Okay, cover for me," he said, standing up as he straightened his beanie.

"Cover you for what?" Svea asked. "Timo, you're not seriously going to leave are you?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna do some investigating! Cover me!"

Lukas shook his head. "You're going to get caught!" he whispered. Timo shrugged as he walked towards the door, looking back over his shoulder at the office as he opened the door and disappeared. "Jesus, he's a fucking idiot."

Lukas stood up, looking at the other three. "Stay here," he commanded, running out of the library as Erikur shook his head. Lukas spotted Timo by his locker, unlocking it as he ran up. "You're not seriously going to the computer lab, are you?"

"I am!" Timo replied, grinning at Lukas. "Why?"

"You're not… you'll get caught."

"I'm pretty sneaky," Timo argued. Lukas rolled his eyes.

"Come on, I'm going with you."

Lukas grabbed his arm and began to lead him down the hall, rounding the corner towards the computer lab. Timo huffed, peering through the small window on the door as he nodded towards Lukas. "They're not in there, but I see bags…" He opened the door and the two slowly walked over to the bags.

"That's Traian's and Raya's."

Timo huffed, looking over at the door as he panicked, grabbing Lukas' hand. "I saw a shadow. We need to hide under the teacher's desk." He dragged Lukas to the desk and the two ducked under. The door flew open.

"You're going to get caught again, babe!"

"Traian, don't call me that."

The two made their way back to their chairs as Lukas blinked. "Okay, like… you're _kind of_ fucking over your friend, right?"

"Okay, well… to be fair, the money is good." Raya sighed loudly as the sound of keys clicking echoed in the room. "And like, it's not like I'm vandalizing. I'm just hacking into the school system to turn off the cameras so someone else can… there, the cameras will be off by ten."

"I still don't know why you do it," Traian grumbled. "Lukas is our friend."

"Well, he seems to be enjoying his other group right now."

"Raya," Traian warned. "You have to tell someone. Lukas' scholarship could be in danger if you don't come clean about who's doing this."

"Lukas' scholarship was already in danger because he fucking showed up to school black out drunk freshman year, if he bothered to show up at all."

Traian groaned. There was a loud slam and the sound of rustling. "I'm done. I can't believe you…"

"You're not gonna snitch on me, are you?" Raya asked. Traian just sighed loudly and there was silence. The door opened, then closed. There was more rustling, and then the door opened again. Once it had closed Timo and Lukas stood up.

"You okay?" Timo asked, placing a hand on Lukas' shoulder.

"Fuck," he grumbled, trying to pull away. "Listen, just… fuck." Lukas stormed out of the computer lab and Timo frowned, crossing his arms as he shook his head.

 **x x x**

"What's wrong?"

Erikur crossed his arms when Lukas stormed back into the library, his face red. He collapsed in his chair, covering his eyes with his hands as he mumbled, "She's a fucking backstabber."

"I missed a lot," Mathilde said, tilting her head. The door opened again as Timo walked over to the group.

"Raya's being paid to help the vandals get away without being caught on camera. She apparently has them set to be deactivated at ten," Timo explained. "And, turns out she's a bitch when she's being told no. She's almost as bad as you, Princess."

"Funny," Svea sneered. Lukas shook his head again and moaned.

"My friends are fucking double crossing, backstabbing, liars."

"You said she was deactivating the cameras now?" Mathilde asked. "Guys… shit, _guys_!"

"Fuck," Timo mumbled. "Shit's gonna happen… _tonight_." Lukas' head snapped up and Svea gripped the table. "Guys… we _have_ to…"

"But last time…"

"Fuck last time!" Mathilde shouted. "We literally have no choice! We just heard the bitch admit she's helping them! I don't care what you have to do to get here tonight by ten, but everyone needs to be."

"Easier said than done," Erikur mumbled. Svea shook her head.

"I, uh… I can't… I won't have my car…" Timo scoffed.

"Then I'll pick you up, Princess," Timo said. Svea huffed and shook her head. "Nope, too late, I'll come get you."

"Timo…"

"Fight about it later," Mathilde scolded. "Okay, so, here's the plan…"


	23. A Series of Events

*sets an upload schedule* *doesn't even follow it* #cicithings

UH YEAH THIS IS GREAT. Uhm I lost count of how many chapters I have done but... it's getting closer to me being done writing the whole thing. So there's that.

THINGS HAPPEN YAY.

will i ever get decent sleep? haha no.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _A Series of Events_

"So, do, uh, you mind if I come with you guys?" Erikur asked Mathilde and Lukas. "I mean… I'm not allowed to practice, so going is pointless…"

"I don't know, I need to study."

"You never study, I have to force you." Mathilde gasped, pretending to faint from shock as Lukas rolled his eyes. "Don't lie. You know it's true. I mean, not like we get a ton of work done…"

"Because he wants to watch Gossip Girl," Mathilde told Erikur. "Blair and Chuck make him cry."

"The only show we've watched Chopped, and if I recall, you're the one who gets emotional if someone even says they haven't seen their dog in two hours."

Mathilde rolled her eyes, slapping Lukas' arm. Lukas didn't even flinch. "I mean, we can go hang out somewhere else… Jan is busy, but Jake might be free…" Erikur smirked, watching the two interact as if they were in some kind of relationship.

"Busy destroying the school?" Lukas sneered.

"For the last fucking time…!"

"Mathilde!" The three turned towards the voice and Erikur's eyes widened. Kiet walked up to the group, waving lazily at them as he turned his attention towards Mathilde. "What's up?"

"Well, we're trying to figure out if we should go back to my place and study or go fuck around elsewhere." Mathilde wrinkled her nose. "I mean, Rosie's making some kind of Argentinian dessert, so…"

Erikur blinked. "Who's Rosie?" Mathilde looked down at the ground and Lukas sighed. "What? Is that your stepmom? I thought you hated her? And her name started with an S?"

"That's Shayla." Mathilde looked up, forcing a grin. "Uh, Rosie is… my housekeeper… nanny… chef… maid… mother figure…" Erikur raised an eyebrow. "I'm telling the truth. Aren't I?"

"She went to prison in Colombia," Lukas added, nonchalantly. "Great story. Telling it to my children." Kiet just nodded, occasionally looking over at Erikur. Erikur flushed as they locked eyes.

"Why don't we just go to your house, Thilde? Seems like Erikur's gotta be introduced to the legend herself."

 **x x x**

"A mansion. You live in a mansion."

Mathilde shrugged, tossing Erikur a can of soda as she walked over to her bed, sitting next to Lukas, who was already on his stomach, flipping through a book. "Yeah, don't tell Svea. She'll probably kill me because of how hypocritical I am."

"I want to strangle you," Erikur admitted. "I may be well off, but I'm definitely not living in a mansion." Mathilde looked down, guilt plain as day on her face. "That was harsh… but…"

"I just wanted people to accept me for me, and not for what my family has." Kiet nodded, sipping from his glass of water as he swiveled in the chair he was sitting out. "It's hard, you know? Parents defining you."

"Tell me about it," Erikur murmured. Mathilde frowned. "Everyone expects me to be some upstanding, religious rich prick and it's like… I mean, I'm rich and a prick, but religious and upstanding? As if."

"Your parents are religious," Kiet stated, rather than asked. Erikur sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"My parents met in high school at some summer bible beater camp, and they're both like the biggest donors to the church, and I'm like… I don't care enough." Erikur huffed. "I never did. It pisses them off, amongst other things…"

"Does your dad have a temper?" Mathilde asked. "Like… violent?"

"N-no."

Lukas looked over at Mathilde, who looked back at Lukas. Erikur felt uncomfortable with how they seem to be communicating without any words. He glanced over at Kiet, who just rolled his eyes.

"Mathilde! Come down and get your snacks!"

"Oh, food! Lu, come help me!" Mathilde jumped off her bed, yanking Lukas from his spot and onto his feet.

"But…"

"Now!" The two sped out the door and Erikur inhaled sharply, offering a smile to Kiet, albeit a forced one.

"Those two, huh?"

"Mathilde told me you're gay."

Erikur was stunned, just because he wasn't expecting that from Kiet. He bit his lip as Kiet watched, his expression unreadable. "Uh… yeah…"

"Is that one of the 'reasons' you were an asshole to me?" Kiet shrugged. "If you remember your apology, that is."

"I remember. You definitely are to the point…" Erikur groaned, sinking lower and lower into the beanbag chair. He wished it would just swallow him whole. He wanted nothing more than to disappear from the harsh gaze of Kiet, even if his brown eyes were fucking rich and deep and beautiful and…

Oh, right, they were talking. "Yeah, on one hand, I was jealous. I can't be out like you. On the other hand, I'm a kindergartener in a sophomore's body."

"Why can't you be out?"

"I mean, in theory, I could," Erikur mumbled. "It's more like… there are people at school who'd tell my parents and they're the ones I can't really… tell… and… can you not keep staring at me like that?"

"Like what?" Kiet's neutral expression broke as he smirked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. Erikur turned red and lowered his gaze.

"Like you're staring into my soul trying to find out if I'm sincere or not!" Erikur blurted out. "I meant every word of my apology, and I mean every word right now."

"So, you do like me?" Kiet asked. Erikur still didn't look up but nodded. "Hm." Erikur took a deep breath and looked up. Kiet was the fingers of one hand against the desk, still staring at him.

"Dig in," Mathilde called from behind the door. The door flew open and Erikur let out a sigh of relief. Mathilde took over dominating the conversation. Erikur could feel Kiet's gaze fall onto him at times, and eventually, Kiet left to get ready for work. Erikur felt like he could breathe.

"Hey, Eri, would it be cool if I gave your number to someone?"

Mathilde smirked at her phone as Lukas sighed, slamming his history textbook shut. "Don't be a bitch, Mathilde. Stop teasing him."

"No, actually, Kiet asked me for it."

Erikur's jaw dropped. "What?"

"So, can I or can't I?" She showed the text to Lukas, who quirked an eyebrow as Mathilde turned her attention back towards Erikur. "You gotta let me know, Eri!"

"Uh, sure…"

Mathilde giggled and Lukas nudged her, shaking his head as he cursed her under his breath. Erikur watched her type something, then set the phone down and turn her attention back to her math book, whining loudly about imaginary square roots or something. Erikur tried to tune her out, opening the play they were reading for English when he felt his phone vibrate on his stomach.

 **(xxx) xxx-xxxx**  
 _Hey, it's Kiet… Mathilde gave me your number. So, do you wanna meet after you get out of detention tomorrow for coffee?_

Erikur blushed, clutching his phone tightly as Lukas gave him this all-knowing look. Mathilde giggled and the two exchanged their weird _we're having a side conversation using only our eyes_ look. He looked back at the message.

 _Yeah, I'd like that_.

 **x x x**

"Timo and Svea are late."

Lukas huffed, sitting on the trunk of his car as Mathilde shrugged. Erikur blinked, crossing his arm as he shoved his phone in his pocket, mumbling, "It's almost ten. They better hurry up or we'll miss the assholes who're doing this."

A car pulled up, parking on the opposite side of the street from the three as Timo waved. "Hey guys!" he called, turning off his engine as Svea hopped out. "Sorry, Princess was late."

"Shut the hell up." Svea rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "So, we're walking over to the school?"

"Yeah, because I have a feeling these guys will cruise the parking lot to make sure nobody else is there. Let's go." Lukas waved the other four towards the direction of the school. "Okay, look, there are the cars."

"Not very bright, these assholes," Mathilde sneered. Svea nodded, pulling out her phone as she smirked. "What you doing?"

"Taking a picture of their license plate," Svea replied, snorting as if it was obvious. "The school makes you turn in a sheet with year, model, and license plate number of your car. It's all on file in the office."

Timo smiled. "You never fail to amaze me, Princess." She winked, walking over to the cars as Erikur glanced at his watch. "What's the time, Sporto?"

"Three after ten, so they just got in," Erikur replied. "The cameras are off, so let's move in." Svea nodded, approaching the group as she put her phone away. Mathilde and Timo bolted for the door, jiggling the handle and watching it pop open.

"Whoever it is knows how to unlock a school building," Mathilde commented.

"I'll say, and not a lot of us have that skill." Timo hummed in thought as the five entered the dark school building again. "Okay, I see the light from the gym's on…" The five looked at each other. "We should split up. Two go to the back entrance by the sound system, while the rest of us go to the main doors."

"Erikur and I will go to the back," Svea volunteered, latching onto the youngest member as they quickly bolted towards the back. Timo and Mathilde nodded, moving towards the main entrance as Lukas followed closely.

"I don't see anyone…" Timo whispered, peering into the gym.

"What about Jonah's office?" Lukas asked. Mathilde nodded in agreement, squeezing past Timo as she crept towards the office, tucked away in the corner of the gym. She waved to the two boys and they tilted their head.

"Someone's here!" she hissed. There was a loud crash and from the office, a figure dressed all in black – including a mask – stumbled out.

"Way to go, Thilde," Lukas sneered, watching as Timo rushed towards the flustered perpetrator. "Wait! There's more than one…"

The figure tackled Timo, knocking him back as he kicked his stomach. Lukas frowned, stepping forward to yank Timo to his feet. "Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?" Timo shouted, trying to lunge forward. "You're fucking dead!"

"Why the hell are you framing _us_?" Lukas asked. The villain said nothing but sneered. There was a loud shriek and the four turned their attention towards the balcony. Another shadowy figure stood opposite of Erikur as Svea tried to break free. Timo's eyes narrowed as he broke away from Lukas, darting towards the entrance.

"Timo!" Mathilde shouted. The figure near her pushed her forward and bolted towards the door. Lukas tried to stop him, attempting to lunge forward and tackle him, but he grabbed his arm, throwing him to the ground. "Fuck, Lukas!" Mathilde scrambled towards Lukas, who rubbed his head as the figure bolted away. "You okay?"

"They're strong as hell," Lukas mused. "Where are the others?" The two turned their attention towards the balcony, where Svea stood in shock, leaning against the ledge. Erikur and Timo were missing and they entered the gym.

"He got away!" Erikur shouted.

"So did the other guy…" Mathilde sighed loudly. Svea rushed down towards the group. Mathilde stood up, reaching out a hand towards Lukas and pulling him towards his feet. "What's the damage?"

"Sound system and the whole balcony is in disarray," Erikur explained. "Any damage down here?"

"Only the office, I think we stopped them before the gym could get trashed," Mathilde explained. "Guys… what the _fuck_?"

"Right?" Svea agreed. "Something's going on." She pulled out her phone, smirking as she opened her camera roll, showing the group. "Luckily, we're going to figure this out. They won't get off scotch free."

"How are we gonna explain this tomorrow?" Lukas asked. "That sound system is thousands of dollars…"

"We're gonna figure it out," Mathilde whispered, pulling Lukas into a side hug. "You good, Svea?"

"Yeah, just caught me off guard," she muttered, waving Mathilde off.

"He could've thrown you off the edge! Are you sure?" Timo fussed over Svea. Erikur rolled his eyes.

"I'm _sure_ , Timo," she snapped. "Let's go home. Tomorrow, I'll go to the office during my study hall and examine the files."

"Just send me the pictures," Timo said. "Eduard can hack into the computer system and find the plate numbers that way." Svea nodded and the group stood in silence.

"We're going to solve this," Mathilde finally said. "Five heads are better than one or two or three or four. We'll get these assholes."


	24. Relationship?

double update because why would i actually do either one of the two papers due soon.

lol.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Relationship?_

"So, uh, Eri… I haven't seen you around recently…"

Erikur smiled at Elise as he closed his locker. "I've been busy… and well… detention and the parents…" The word 'parents' made his back throb in pain. He winced, trying to push his father's harsh punishment from his mind. "It's just a lot right now."

"Well, uh… I was wondering…"

Erikur gulped. The group had suddenly turned their attention towards them. He glanced at Nichita, who was trying so hard to hide his frown. Everyone knew what was coming next. Erikur looked down at his books and Mei giggled, whispering something to Leon.

"Well, maybe we can go grab something after school? Ice cream or coffee? As like, you know… as date."

Erikur bit his lip. "Yeah, uh… sorry… I can't… I, uh… I already have a date today."

Leon's books hit the floor and Nichita's eyes widened. Elise blinked, not sure how to process the information given to her. "Sorry," Erikur repeated as he felt Mei glare daggers into his back. He stepped around Elise, shaking his head as he walked away.

"Erikur, wait," Nichelle called, running after him and yanking his arm, pulling him into an abandoned classroom and flipping on the lights. "What the _hell_?"

"I told you and Nichi last week, I don't like her like that." Erikur huffed. "And besides, Nichi really likes her and he'd be better for her…"

"Oh, I don't care about that!" Nichelle shouted. "You're free to say no to whoever you want… but I'm asking about this date! Who is it? You never even mentioned…"

"It's just like, coffee," Erikur explained, trying to wave Nichelle's questions off. "I'm serious, NiNi. It's not a big deal."

"Do I know her?"

Nichelle was the kind of girl who wanted to support her friends, even if it came off as her being nosy (which, she was, but Erikur knew it was like her way of supporting him). He shrugged.

"You may. They go here."

"What grade is she in?" she asked.

"Can't say. We're going to see where it goes, and if it turns out good, you'll be able to meet them. You and Nichi first, since uh… Mei is probably going to want my head for a couple of weeks…"

Nichelle laughed. "Well, I wish you luck. I hope things work out for you and her." Erikur tried to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Nichelle didn't pick up on his subtle way he never said 'her' or used feminine pronouns. Sometimes, she was oblivious.

He inhaled sharply. "Thanks. I hope it works out too."

 **x x x**

"Erikur."

The English teacher looked up from her slip, frowning as she glanced over at him. "You're, uh, wanted… in the office…"

Erikur sighed, standing up and grabbing his notebook as he made his way out of the classroom. Down the hall, he saw Lukas and Timo frowning as they left the library, shaking their heads.

"You get called?" Timo shouted as the three met up at the top of the stairs. "You know this is about the gym…"

"I assumed," Erikur muttered. "Not sure how we're going to talk our way out of this." Lukas shrugged and Timo nodded. The three walked down the stairs and walked into the office. The secretary sighed, motioning towards the vice-principal's office. The three inhaled and walked towards the door, pushing it open.

"There they are," Mr. Willie deadpanned. Mathilde turned around and waved, while Svea shifted to face the three walking in. Her face was red, obviously frustrated. "Perhaps you can shed some light onto the situation at hand…"

"You mean the situation we had _nothing_ to do with?" Erikur sneered. "I'd love to."

"Sit down," Mr. Willie commanded. "Your friends, Miss Densen and Miss Oxenstierna, seem to believe that there is some kind of set-up. That there are two other students responsible…"

"There are," Lukas confirmed, taking a seat next to Mathilde. "There are two students who are doing this."

"And how would you know, Mr. Thomassen?"

Lukas lowered his gaze and Mathilde frowned. "The fact that we're still being punished and the vandalism hasn't stopped…"

"I saw two cars at the school last night… I went in because they left the door unlocked."

Everyone gaped, turning towards the end of the line of chairs to stare at Timo. "I saw them, dressed in black…"

"So you admit you were here last night…" Timo nodded and Mr. Willie smirked. "But it wasn't you? Come on, Timo… you should know better than to try and lie to me about that…"

"He's telling the truth," Svea added. "I was with him. I have pictures of the license plate numbers of the two cars there and…"

"And somehow, you roped Miss Oxenstierna…"

"Hold on," Svea shouted. "I went with him on my own accord. I'm not some mindless bimbo…"

"Besides, they weren't alone either," Mathilde shouted over Svea. "I was there too."

"So was I." Erikur nodded. Mr. Willie's eyes fell on him.

"And next you're going to tell me Mr. Steilsson…"

"I was also there. We know what we saw, Mr. Willie," Erikur said, crossing his arms. "You can take this as you want, but we're innocent, and we're not going to let you sit here and bully us…"

"All I know is that you have no physical evidence," Mr. Willie replied. "The cameras were down…"

"Which, by the way, we also know why that happened," Lukas interjected. "And we do have physical evidence…"

"Yeah, I have the pictures!" Svea shouted. "You can't tell me you don't want to see them."

"Enough!" Mr. Willie shouted. "You have all admitted you were at the school during the time of the latest vandalism…"

"But you're not even listening to us!" Mathilde interjected. "This is fucking bullshit! I cannot believe that the whole time we've been in detention, people keep doing it, and if you think it was one of us…"

"Raise your voice to me again, Ms. Densen," Mr. Willie shouted. "With your record, in school suspension will be coming your way."

"Don't threaten her!" Lukas shouted.

"Watch yourself, Mr. Thomassen. You're keeping bad company…"

"Knock it off," Erikur said, balling up his fists. "Look, you need to listen to us too. I don't know where you have it in your mind that your power overrides our feelings and emotions, but…"

"Mr. Steilsson, if you know what's good for you, I suggest you stay out of it." Mr. Willie glared at Lukas, then at Mathilde. "Maybe one of you has fooled the others that you're innocent, but all the evidence points to one of you. So, come clean, or we'll go back to detentions every day after school."

"We're not admitting something we didn't do." Svea crossed her arms and everyone nodded. Mr. Willie frowned, his forehead scrunching up.

"Then we have nothing to discuss. Get out of my office. All of you."

 **x x x**

"I would _love_ to get a hold of that asshole…"

Lukas fumed. Detention had been heavily monitored. They sat in silence, under the watchful and angry eye of Mr. Willie. Nobody wanted to push his buttons, especially after the showdown in his office. Erikur inhaled sharply, leaning against a locker and sliding down. Mathilde looked over her shoulder, making sure the hallway was clear.

"I am fucking stunned," Timo sneered. Svea sat down next to Erikur, placing a hand on his knee.

"Flabbergasted." Mathilde snorted as the words left her mouth. "I'm actually not sure what his issue is."

"He had no right to speak to you like that," Lukas said, crossing his arms. "That was fucking stupid… oh, hey." Lukas' expression changed, pointing down the hallway as Timo and Svea turned towards the direction he was pointing. "Thilde, it's Kiet."

"Oh, hey!" Mathilde waved him over and Kiet approached the group. "What are you still doing around here?"

"I, uh, came to pick up..." Kiet's voice trailed off as Timo and Svea looked up at him. Erikur inhaled sharply, rising to his feet as Mathilde giggled. Lukas shook his head.

"They know… well, kinda…" Erikur shrugged, turning to the others. "I'll text you guys later. I've, uh, got plans." Svea's eyes widened as Timo laughed, giving the two males two thumbs up as Erikur and Kiet exchanged awkward smiles and began to walk away.

"Be safe, use a condom!" Mathilde shouted, earning a swift elbow into her side from Lukas.

 **x x x**

"So, I kind of assume your family is off the table for discussion."

Kiet rested his chin in the palm of his hand. Erikur shrugged, bringing his cup of coffee to his lips. "I mean, there's not much to say. Traditional, old-fashioned, conservative… I mean, you can talk about yours, if you want…"

"It's just my mom and I," Kiet said with a shrug. "My dad walked out when I came out my freshman year. He didn't want to raise a 'fag' or whatever." Erikur winced but Kiet just smiled. "I mean, I have my mom, and the Nguyens. They've been really good to us too…"

"It's really cool you have that support system." Erikur looked down at the table and missed Kiet's smile fade. "So, uh, your mom and you must be close."

"We are. College is gonna be hard."

Erikur looked up, giving him an unsure smile. "Oh yeah, you graduate in May. Uh… what's your plan? I'm sure you hate hearing that question…"

"My plan is wait for the rest of the schools I applied to get back to me on financial aid. My goal is to kind of try to stay within the area, but… if an out-of-state school gives me tons of money…"

"The choice would be obvious." There was a lull and Erikur shifted, saying, "Listen uh, I don't think I can apologize enough for how shitty I was to you before… and like, sorry about last Friday."

"You've apologized to me like five times already." Kiet laughed and Erikur flushed. "I mean, look, I feel like I was a bit defensive yesterday…"

"But you had a right!" Erikur interrupted. "Like, come on, I was a total ass to you not only because I am an actual child, but also because my teammates and so called 'friends' expect me to be that way. Plus, I was jealous. I still kind of am." Erikur lowered his gaze again. "And like, I'm glad you gave me this chance, even after I made an ass of myself."

"I feel like Mathilde might've strangled me if I didn't."

"Gee, glad to know she put you up to it…"

Kiet held up his hand. "I made the decision. I'm eighteen years old… I think I can decide if I want to ask someone out or not. I did need convincing, and Mathilde obviously cares for you like you're a brother, and she gets these _ideas_."

"She does, I can always see her plotting," Erikur mumbled. The two laughed. "So, her idea is what?"

"I think it's to try and make you more comfortable with yourself…"

Erikur frowned. "I don't want you to feel like I'm _using_ you. I definitely would not…! I mean…"

Kiet leaned back and laughed, mumbling, "Calm down, kiddo. I already know you have a thing for me. That little kiss from Friday was a good indicator." Erikur groaned and slammed his head into the table. "You're going to get a concussion."

"Happened already," Erikur retorted. "I'm _really_ sorry about that. I didn't even remember or know about it… Mathilde told me. At detention…"

Kiet frowned. "Yeah, you know, I was thinking…" Erikur's heart dropped as Kiet looked down at his hands. "Yeah, like, I don't know. I told Mathilde I don't mess around with boys in the closet anymore, not after the thing with Manuel my sophomore year…" Erikur clicked his tongue. "But… I think the bigger issue is going to be planning our next date around your little prison time and my work schedule."

"Next date?"

"Yeah, next date," Kiet repeated. "Is there an issue?"

"You just said you don't…"

Kiet held up his hands. "I get the whole family thing. I was terrified to tell my parents too. And yeah, I get the unsupportive family thing too. Obviously, my dad wanted nothing to do with me…" Kiet shrugged. "I mean, eventually, if this is serious, we have to talk. I don't want to be with a boy who's ashamed to be seen with me…"

Erikur paled and looked down at his hands. His heart began to pound in his chest. Kiet smiled. "That being said, I do think you're pretty cute and sweet. You're just a bit awkward."

"Hey, I've never dated anyone," Erikur said in defense. "I'm new to this."

Kiet crossed his arms and smirked. "Well, I think I might be able to teach you a thing or two."


	25. Waltz

i hate my neighbors and how loud they are and how they won't answer their door when i knock and i haven't slept in 72 hours so here's a really early morning update.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Waltz_

"So, Kiet and Erikur…"

"Yup."

"That must be who he has a crush on."

"Yup."

"I bet Mathilde helped that situation."

"Yup."

Svea turned to Timo as he pulled into a parking space in front of the nursing home. "Is that all you can say?" Timo smirked, turning to face Svea as she rolled her eyes. "I swear to God, do not say it."

"Yeah."

"Unbelievable," Svea shouted. "Remind me why I'm here with you."

"Because you owe me a dance," Timo responded. "It's ballroom dancing night. The old people really like it. And I do too." Svea frowned, huffing quietly as she crossed her arms. "What?"

"I'm not kidding. I'm _really_ bad at dancing."

Timo smiled as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'll help. The instructors are great, and I've done it enough I like to consider myself a ballroom master." Svea rolled her eyes, unbuckling herself as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me."

Svea shook her head and opened the door, sliding out of the vehicle. Timo's smile faded as he followed her. Timo picked up his pace to keep up with her long strides, approaching the automatic doors as they slid open. "I'll sign us in," Timo said, walking over to the nurse's station and grabbing a pen. Svea inhaled sharply as many residents made their way to the dining and social area down the hall, chattering quietly amongst themselves.

Timo walked over and held out his hand. "Alright, Princess, let's go."

The two made their way into the dining area and Timo smirked, turning to Svea as he held out his hand.

"So, I'll lead."

Timo placed his hand on the small of Svea's back, smiling down at her as she quirked an eyebrow. "I'd rather not make a fool of myself."

"Calm down," he joked, poking her back as she huffed. "Nobody's going to care. In fact, I'm sure these lowly peasants are glad the Princess took time out of her schedule to grace them with her royal presence."

"You know, I still don't like when you call me that."

Timo smirked. "You never protest."

"You are a royal pain," Svea shot back, fighting the smile that threatened to light up her whole face. Timo laughed and smiled. "Okay, start leading then."

"So bossy," Timo sneered. "Okay, so, you can count to three, right?" Svea nodded. "Great. So, we can start with a simple box step. Just follow my lead. You can't possibly fuck up. So, I'm gonna step forward with my left foot… you step back with your right."

"Okay."

"And then after we do this…" The movements were stiff and Svea looked unsure, glancing at her feet. "Step diagonal with your right foot. Then come together."

Svea blinked, mumbling, "So, just… back, side, together?"

"Yeah," Timo confirmed. "And then, step forward, side, close…"

They stumbled around, making awkward boxes as Svea took cautious steps. The room was lively as the residents were being corrected by the instructors, moving at their own pace as the lesson was closing up. The dancing part would start soon, leading to a mixer or whatever it was. Svea huffed as they came to a stop.

"There, now, was that so bad?"

Svea sighed, looking up at Timo as laughed, winking at her. Svea smiled, gently stepping on his foot with her on. "Watch it, Timo," she warned. "You don't want to upset royalty."

"Well, with that in mind," Timo said, "I think we can try to get a little crazy with these steps…"

"Oh God," Svea mumbled. "You know, let's just stick with the basics. At least for now. This is the first time I've waltzed, you know." Timo smiled and the music started up. "Okay, lead."

"Bossy." Timo stuck out his tongue and mouthed _one, two, three_ before taking the first step. Svea stumbled, stepping with the right foot, which caused Timo to smirk at her. "Left for you. Mirror me."

"I'm trying!" she snapped. "Okay, so, like this?"

Timo smiled and nodded as they moved with a bit more ease and grace. "Yeah. Looking good, Princess." She smirked and they moved across the floor, trying to avoid running into other couples as the music played quietly. "You'll be prom ready in no time."

"Oh, joy, I'm so thankful. You never know when they'll play a waltz during prom." Svea rolled her eyes and smiled. Timo flushed, the idea of them waltzing to some pop song at prom oddly appealing.

The song came to an end and the instructors clapped their hands. Timo released Svea and took a step back.

The idea of going to prom with her was oddly appealing.

 **x x x**

"That's Alfred's car."

Timo pulled up next to Svea's car as she turned around, peering out the back window as Alfred sat on the hood of his car. "What's he doing here so late?" Timo asked. Svea shrugged, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Wait here." She opened her door and got out, slamming it shut. She inhaled, walking across the parking lot to approach Alfred's car. She smiled, crossing her arms as she stood before him. "It's a bit late. Practice ended an hour ago."

"What are you doing with Timo?" Alfred sneered. "And mind your own fucking business."

Svea frowned. "Mind your own then. I don't have to tell you what Timo and I were doing."

"I thought we agreed to be exclusive, in a way?" Alfred's eyes narrowed. "But let me guess, your little boyfriend and you are so happy…"

"Alfred, just stop." Svea tightened her grip on her own arms. "You can't keep playing hot and cold. You throw a fit when I ignore you, but I'm allowed to have other male friends. You and I aren't dating, we're just…"

"I'm just someone who pays you for sex. Basically, you're a whore and I'm the client."

Svea's eyes narrowed. "That's not fucking fair! You can't sit there and call me a whore, then expect me to continue with this charade…"

"The only charade you want to continue with," Alfred said, raising his voice. "Is this charade that you're some rich bitch when in reality, you're dirt poor and you work a night shift at some fucking waffle diner and fuck guys in your free time for extra cash to help make ends meet."

"That's not fair!"

"Look, why don't you and lover boy go off by yourselves?" Alfred asked, rolling his eyes as he slid off his car, grabbing his bag. "I've gotta meet with some people. Besides, wouldn't want to ruin your date."

Alfred began to walk towards the direction of the school and Svea's eyes watered. She stood there in shock as she watched him disappear into the school. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder as she turned and faced Timo.

She finally let out a sob and latched on, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.

 **x x x**

"So like, I don't know what Alfred said to you, but I think it was shitty of him."

Svea frowned as she looked down at her hands. Timo crossed his arms, adding, "I also still don't trust him. Like, what was he doing? Who was he meeting? If you ask me, he's the biggest sleaze ball I have ever met. Like, you could do so much better."

Svea laughed, although it was shallow. Timo frowned as he looked over at the sun setting over the parking lot. "I mean, if it's any consolation to you… you're not shallow and I only call you Princess because it's kind of like our inside joke now, you know? I'm not doing it to be mean."

Svea forced a smile. "And well, Alfred doesn't know what he's missing. Like I said, there's a better option elsewhere. Also… Eduard texted me _finally_ about the fucking license plates!"

Svea's head snapped towards Timo so fast, he swore he heard it crack. She gaped, finally forcing out a loud, "What?" He nodded, opening the text on his phone. "That's great, Ti! Who is it?"

"Well… you won't believe this…"

Timo frowned. "What?" Svea repeated, nudging him. "Who is it? We're so close to figuring this out. You have to tell me. You have to tell me _and_ the others!"

"The first car was Yao Wang's. The second one isn't on school record."


	26. Shunned

"CICI UPDATED ON A SATURDAY? WHAT IS THIS?" you may be asking as you look at your inboxes, the fact that FFS is updating and it's 4:30 AM for me on a Saturday morning. The only reason I'm updating today and at this hour, instead of Sunday, is because I have to make this announcement, and it kind of sucks, but whatever.

 _ **THIS STORY WILL BE GOING ON A BRIEF HIATUS FROM NOW UNTIL THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 12TH**_

If anything, updates will resume regularly after December 16th, but it could be sooner. I'm in finals hell, and I have plenty of papers and projects I need to do, and sadly, I do actually need to put school first (which is weird considering I spent Sunday and Monday reading a whole book and writing a paper over said book... that was assigned back in AUGUST lol guys I'm a terrible student).

I usually write these chapters ahead of updates, and work on the whole story in huge chunks, but like to spread them out for posting and motivation purposes. So, I'll be writing this in what little free time I have when I can, but not posting. That being said, I'm not entirely sure how much time I'll be able to spend on this, if I'll even want to at all, considering the fact I have five papers due between now and December 16th. College i D.

That being said, we're getting closer and closer to the end... it may not seem like it to you, but where I am at with what I have written up... o boi. Als D. I'm torn on what the next project will be, honestly. I have two I want to write, with a third I've been THINKING about but that one we'll see...

My tumblr, ciciives, isn't usually very active during the school year, BUT I do check it enough that if anyone wanted to shoot a message or ask over that way to me during these dark times of hiatuses and no updates, I'll respond.

Thanks for understanding about the hiatus and thank you everyone for the support on this project! I'm glad you all enjoy it and I can't wait for the updates to come.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Shunned_

"Yao Wang? But why?"

Mathilde sat with her legs crossed on the top of the picnic table outside of the school. Erikur leaned back against the table as Svea began to pace nearby. Erikur added, "Yeah, he's so nice. Are you sure?"

"Positive." Crossing his arms, Timo shook his head. "I don't know why. Like, I asked Eduard to pull everything on him. Yao is clean as a whistle. I mean, he's not popular, but isn't doing terrible in gym. Never had a bad mark…"

"It's always the nice ones," Lukas said with a smirk. Mathilde rolled her eyes and elbowed him. Svea groaned. "What's up, Svea?"

"Ugh, this is great. I don't know what his issue is," she muttered. "When I see him… oh, is he going to get it!"

"Wait, Svea," Mathilde spoke up, raising her hand. "You said… Anya had a thing with him?"

"Yeah, she did." Svea made a face. "Like I said, it went sour. Ended because he's a senior and didn't wanna be held back or hold her back. Something like that." Timo tapped his chin and snapped his fingers.

"Svea, you and I can talk to Anya!" Timo exclaimed. "Maybe she can give some insight. She'll know if something is up. She'll tell you because you're her best friend, and she won't mind telling me since she's really into me."

"He's gotta point." Lukas shrugged. "Okay, so, you two can do that. What's up with the second car?"

"Not on school record." Timo sighed. "That means someone stole a car or borrowed one or _something_. Eduard's pulling all the stops in for this one, but it may take a while to hack into the DOT or whatever he's doing."

"Can someone please tell me why half of our high school knows how to do some FBI type of shit?" Erikur groaned, rubbing his temples. "Anything else we should note?"

"I got something for you."

Lukas stiffened at the sound of Feliks' voice as he made his way over to the group. "Feliks!" Svea exclaimed. "Glad you could make it. What's up?"

"So, as your eyes and ears," Feliks began, smiling at the group. "I would like to report that I overheard Antonio talking to his little girlfriend and Afonso. Antonio mentioned something about Alfred."

"Of course, the little shit," Timo grumbled, earning a glare from Svea.

"Did you know Alfred has the keys from Jonah? He has access to the gym at all times?" Feliks asked. "And that's not all. Turns out, the two had a falling out a while ago. According to Antonio. I'm not sure."

"I remember that," Svea said. "Something about the starting job and giving it to someone else or whatever. I think he wanted Matthew or Carlos to start." Svea shrugged. "So, you're saying Alfred may have a roll in this?"

"I'm saying it's likely he does, but the guy's too smart to get his hands dirty." Feliks examined his nails, feigning boredom. "I overheard Traian say something to Indre…"

"If it's about Raya, we know." Lukas gritted his teeth. Feliks nodded. "God, I still can't believe that. It's like everyone in my group knows but me."

"Well, Traian said Alfred was paying Raya for something, never explained what."

"Okay so, looks like we have a lot of investigating to do." Mathilde clapped her hands together. "Thanks a ton, Feliks. You know we owe you."

"Trust me, when I talk to Indre, I'll throw in a few good words," Lukas said. Feliks laughed, nodding his head. "Plus, I should probably talk to Traian… and Raya…"

"I've got Alfred…" Svea shook her head as Erikur spoke up.

"Let me get him." Timo shook his head and she glared at him. "He'll tell me something. Trust me." Nobody argued and everyone just ignored Svea's pleas. Mathilde forced a smile, placing a hand on Lukas' shoulder.

"Well, we got your guys' back. No matter what."

Feliks smiled. "You guys are actual squad goals."

 **x x x**

"Hey guys."

Raya rolled her eyes as Lukas approached their table. Traian lowered his gaze as Arthur mumbled, "Look who decided to join us. You guys remember Lukas?" Arthur smirked. "After all, he used to be a friend." Lukas frowned as the table looked over at him. Indre inhaled sharply as Lukas crossed his arms.

"I still am a friend," Lukas sneered. "Sorry I expanded my circle."

"Yeah, with a bunch of fucking criminals," Raya sneered. Indre elbowed her as Traian offered a cautious smile. "What do you want?"

"I didn't know I wasn't allowed to sit with you guys."

"Well, we figured you'd be skipping school to go get drunk with your new girlfriend." Indre covered her mouth as Lukas glared.

"Okay, what the fuck?" Lukas shouted. "You know, I was going to come over here to tell you something about a certain someone who wants to take you to prom, but…"

"Well, get lost. She's not interested in someone who sleeps with potheads." Raya slung her arm around Indre as Traian opened his mouth, but closed it right away.

"It's not me," Lukas grumbled. "But I guess it doesn't matter. Since apparently, we used to be friends, so I don't owe her or you or any of you jack shit anymore." Lukas clenched his fists. "And may I remind you, Raya, I'm not the one going being my friend's back and fucking them over!"

"What the hell does that mean?" Traian interjected, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't understand how you guys can sit here and not understand that I'm being framed…!"

"And you choose to hang out with the people who are the issue!"

Lukas glared at Raya, ignoring Indre's false claims as he placed his hands on the table, leaning across and holding eye contact with her. "You can sit there, and have everyone protect you, but I know. And you're in for one hell of a rude awakening…!"

"Back the hell up, Lukas," Traian shouted, pulling him back from the table. "What the hell is your issue?"

"Don't act like you don't know, Traian!"

"He's irrational." Raya crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes in attempt to look strong and firm. Lukas glanced at her and saw a glimmer of shock and fear hidden behind her façade. "That's what you get when you hang around Mathilde Densen all the time…"

"Leave Thilde out of this!"

"Just leave," Indre blurted out. "You're acting irrational and quite frankly, Raya's right. Your new circle of friends…"

"Actually have my damn back!" Lukas shouted. "Unlike _some_ people."

Lukas huffed and stormed out of the lunchroom, leaving the group in shock.

 **x x x**

"Where's Lu, Thilde?"

Mathilde blinked, looking over at the empty seat next to her as Erikur sat down across from her. "You're late," Timo snickered. "Swapping spit with Sripuy?" Erikur flushed, tossing a pencil at Timo as he laughed.

"We've been on one date!"

"You could've still made out!"

"Guys, but really," Svea interjected, rolling her eyes as Timo began to laugh. "Where _is_ Lukas? He wasn't in class after lunch." Mathilde nodded in confirmation, pulling out her phone and scrolling through her texts, typing up a quick message as she shoved her phone away quickly when Mr. Willie entered the library.

"Where's Thomassen?"

"Haven't seen him since lunch," Erikur said. "Did he leave early for an appointment or anything?"

"Would I be asking if I knew that? He never checked out."

"I love how we can't sass you but apparently it's okay for you to sass us." Mathilde rolled her eyes as Mr. Willie scowled. "Did you call home?"

"We did, his mother answered and said he wasn't home."

Mathilde paled as Mr. Willie scowled. "If you happen to see or hear from him, tell him I'll be expecting him bright and early tomorrow morning." Mathilde watched as Mr. Willie walked back into the office and she jumped to her feet, grabbing her bag.

"What are you doing, Mathilde?" Svea asked.

"Listen, I'm a bit worried. Lukas… he wouldn't miss school for anything unless it was really serious. He can't afford it." Svea's jaw dropped and Timo raised an eyebrow as she pulled her car keys from her bag. "I just…"

"You're fucking crazy!" Timo criticized. "You can't leave, Mathilde!"

"You're going to get in more trouble!" Svea added. The two began to speak over the other as Erikur crossed his arms, clearing his throat.

"Mathilde, _go_." Erikur glared at Svea and Timo. "You're right. Something's up, and someone needs to go check on him. _Now_. We'll cover."

Mathilde smiled. "Thanks, Eri!" she shouted, running out of the library.

 **x x x**

"Uh, hi."

The woman who stood in the door was almost a female image of Lukas. She had long, thin blonde hair and the biggest, bluest eyes she had ever seen. She was petit and had a scowl to match that of her son. "Who are you?"

"I'm, uh, Mathilde. Lukas' friend." Mathilde winced at her tone. "He, uh, missed the last few classes so I'm bringing him his homework."

"Oh, well, that little unruly boy is in his room. Tell him I'll be back later." She opened her purse and put the keys back in it. "And lock the door behind me, please."

"Uh, yes, Ms. Thomassen."

"Call me Emilie, please. The boy's in a mood, so don't feel obligated to stay too long, sweetie."

Emilie swayed and Mathilde stepped inside. As she stepped closer, she could smell the alcohol as Emilie walked by her, closing the door behind her. Mathilde inhaled sharply, shaking her head as she made her way through the small house, reaching Lukas' room.

She knocked gently on the door and heard stirring from inside the room. She rocked back and forth between her heels and the balls of her feet as she listened to the music playing quietly in the background. "It's open. Not like I could lock you out if I wanted to…"

Mathilde gulped, but grabbed the doorknob. "I would hope not. You would never get to see my gorgeous face again!"

Mathilde forced a fake smile, opening the door as Lukas shot up, the big bottle of wine in his hands slipping and spilling all over the carpet. Mathilde's smile faded. "Lukas."

"Shit, I, uh… thought you were my mom."

"No," Mathilde said, shoving her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants. "I, uh, skipped detention… to find you. I caught Emilie – er, your mom – on her way out. She seemed upset with you."

"Yeah, she is." Lukas leaned over, picking up the bottle of wine as he frowned, avoiding Mathilde's glare. "She accused me of stealing her wine. I called her names, called her a drunk, and we fought."

"Is that why you left school early?"

"No," Lukas deadpanned. "The argument was of result of when I left school early." Mathilde's frowned deepened as Lukas snapped at her as if she was suppose to know.

"How much have you drank?"

"Maybe a glass and a half, not sure, it's all on my carpet now."

Mathilde glanced at the stain in the dingy, blue carpet. She shrugged and crossed her arms. "So, like, what's up? What triggered this? I thought you tried to stay away from alcohol."

Lukas shrugged, looking down at the carpet as Mathilde approached him, collapsing onto the foot of the bed. "You know how we always talked about the 'what-ifs' to like a little group? Like how our friends would react?"

"Uh, yeah." Mathilde swung her legs up onto the bed, crossing them.

"Well, uh… how do your friends feel about our group?"

Mathilde huffed, shrugging her shoulders. "Jake and Kiet don't care. I mean, Jake is just really friendly so he's fine with everyone. Kiet… I mean, his only issue was with Erikur, but like, I guess they talk all the time now and he says he's cute. Otherwise, he doesn't mind everyone else."

Mathilde shrugged again. "Jan's said his peace, but he also doesn't enjoy trying to get to know others. He's only semi-okay with Timo, but again, he kind of doesn't enjoy talking to people…"

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that in reality, she never had to have this discussion with her friends. She didn't even think that the rest of the group was having this issue – at least Timo wasn't, since they shared a similar friend group.

"Did your friends say something?"

Lukas frowned and huffed. Mathilde crossed her arms and Lukas shrugged. "I went to see them and sit with them at lunch. They, uh, they're not happy."

"Why?"

Lukas frowned. "They don't like that I'm friends with you. And then I lost my cool, blew up on Raya which didn't sit well with Traian, and so… I kind of had a breakdown and left school."

Mathilde sighed loudly. "You know, that's really shitty of your friends." Mathilde uncrossed her arms and reached out, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "And like, I know that when we do talk about what happens when this is done, we kind of assume we won't be friends. But like…" Mathilde inhaled, her cheeks turning pink.

"I don't think that's true. At least not with you. I think you're one of the coolest people ever… and you're really smart and loyal and you really have a big heart, just sometimes you act like a little bitch and don't show it."

Lukas rolled his eyes. "Okay, that made me feel _so_ much better." Mathilde scoffed, flicking his cheek as he swatted her hand away. "Well, it actually did. So, uh, thanks. You know, you're pretty cool too."

Mathilde shrugged. "Eh, I guess I am." She leaned back against the wall, humming in thought. "So, since Indre won't talk to you, and well, I guess we promised her off to Feliks, who's going to be your prom date?"

Lukas shrugged. "Nobody. I'm not going. Are you going with Jan?" Lukas ignored how his voice sounded so tense when he said the other male's name. Mathilde grinned, shaking her head.

"No, he's got Lien. He asked her. And well, Kiet may be tied up with someone else…" She giggled and Lukas nodded, rolling his eyes again at her childish demeanor. "I probably will skip out. It's not like boys are dying to take me like they are with Svea."

"Eh, Svea's dates are probably all assholes anyway," Lukas responded. "You wouldn't want them, and you don't need them."

The two laughed as Mathilde motioned towards a bookshelf. "Hey, read me something. We watch so much Netflix, this'll be a change of pace."

Lukas smirked, walking over to his bookshelf and grabbing a small, paperback copy. "How do you feel about _The Outsiders_?"


	27. Odd

IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK.

So, funny story: while taking breaks from paper hell, I wrote up to chapter 33, and then I outline the last remaining seven chapters, plus an epilogue. So, all in all, this story is going to be a whooping 42 chapters (this number includes epilogue). Amazing. I can't believe that I found the time to even write 42 chapters of this story with the fact I worked and had a full semester schedule this year.

Not only that, I do have six or seven stories in the works in terms of outlining and plotting. As we get closer to the end of this story, I might spill the beans on a few of them. One of them is complete in terms of outlining and such, and it's one I've really wanted to write, but I might tweak some things. I've been kind of going back and forth on another VERY old idea I had but we shall see.

All in all, I have a lot of ideas and I want to write them all but I can't, and part of me wants to rewrite an old fic too.

grumbles loudly these authoress notes are getting too fucking long someone please shut me up.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Odd_

"This isn't necessarily my scene…"

Kiet shifted, adjusting his jacket as Erikur held the door open. Kiet looked over at the sign and shrugged. "This is a nice and chill place. The food's okay, but the music is great. You said you liked live acoustic, right?"

"Yeah, but…" Kiet hummed in thought, examining Erikur and then peering inside. "I feel like… it's a bunch of you rich, hipster kids… and like…"

"Trust me, nobody from school comes here but my friends and I," Erikur insisted. "And not the douchebag ones. The ones I actually like and talk about. Nichelle and Leon and Mei and Nichi and such…"

"You're not worried they'll see you?"

Erikur shrugged. "They know I'm seeing someone. They just don't know who. Nichelle and Nichi are trying to find out, Mei's pissed I wouldn't date Elise, but Elise is kind of over it, I guess. She realizes I was kind of a dick about her crush thing."

"But are you ready to come out to them?"

Kiet watched as Erikur leaned forward, nudging him into the doorway. "I mean, I figured they wouldn't judge me if I did. I'm not going to come out until I know where this is going."

"Smart kid."

"I'm only like, two and a half years younger than you!"

Kiet smirked as Erikur waved to one of the waitresses that walked by. "Come on, the table by the window is open." Erikur grabbed Kiet's hand, lacing their fingers as he pulled the smaller male towards the open table.

The establishment was kind of dingy, but nothing to raise concern. The stage was lit up as a young woman tuned her guitar, making small talk with someone in the audience. Kiet inhaled sharply. "I feel like people are judging."

"Nobody here is going to know you, and therefore, it shouldn't matter."

Kiet rolled his eyes as a waitress approached, pouring them some waters. "Fancy talk from someone still in the closet."

"That's… that's different." Erikur took a sip, looking away. "I'm terrified of the judgment of my peers and teammates, totally… but the really thing I fear is my parents."

Kiet leaned forward. "Like, I know kids and parents tend to never get along. Teens and parents don't understand, but it's hard when your parents are stubborn too."

Kiet smirked, adding, "And sometimes, they're so set in your ways, you can't change that." Erikur nodded and Kiet leaned back in his chair. "You know, for a kid…"

"I swear…"

"I tease," Kiet said. "But, you really are pretty smart. And you know, everyone has their shit. Some worse than others. But you know, as long as you have some people to support you…" Erikur smiled and Kiet's eyes drifted down to his arms. "Huh."

"What's up?"

Kiet reached forward, grabbing Erikur's left arm as he pushed up the sleeve of his sweater. "What are these from?" Kiet frowned as his fingers gently traced the dark bruises littering the inside of his arm and wrist. Erikur yanked his arm away, pulling down his sleeve.

"Oh, uh, I'm not sure…"

"Sure."

Erikur gulped and stood up. "I'll be right back. I'm going to run to the bathroom."

 **x x x**

"You have got to be kidding me."

Erikur didn't even try to hide his annoyance as Alfred Jones leaned against the sink, smirking at Erikur as he approached the sink. "Fancy seeing you here. What brings you here?"

"Just hanging out."

"With your friends?"

"No." Erikur shut his mouth, trying hard to keep the truth that he was on a date from coming out. "You definitely never come here to hang, so what gives?"

"You're _so_ friendly." Alfred chuckled, rolling his eyes. Erikur glared as Alfred huffed. "What's with your attitude?"

"How about the hangover you caused me?"

"Don't drink as much."

Erikur scoffed and turned on the sink, running his hands under the freezing water. "If you must know, I'm meeting some people. Not like I would _willingly_ come here, but they wanted to meet here and I thought I'd oblige."

"Cool," Erikur sneered, grabbing some paper towels. "Well, if you excuse me…"

Alfred caught Erikur's arm, his expression serious. "Question. You're in pretty good with Svea, right?"

"Uh, look," Erikur began, brushing off Alfred's hand. "I have my own shit going on, so I would _really_ appreciate not being dragged into your relationship drama…"

"She's banging Väinämöinen, isn't she? Is he taking her to prom?"

"Look," Erikur shouted. "I'm not answering these stupid questions. We've got bigger shit to focus on and quite frankly, we're getting pretty close to figuring out the whole gym situation, so if you could kindly fuck off and let me get back to the only free time I have to enjoy my fucking date, that would be _swell_."

Erikur watched Alfred's eyes widen, but he was too frustrated to even comment. Tossing his paper towels into the trash, Erikur stormed out, walking back up to the table as Kiet frowned. "What's up?"

"I just got harassed and interrogated in the bathroom by Alfred."

Kiet looked shocked and whispered, "Do we need to leave? We can go do something else." Erikur nodded and Kiet grabbed his jacket. The two threw down some cash that covered the bill and over tipped the waitress as they rushed out of the building. "What did he say?"

"He's all pissy about Svea. So I…"

"Erikur!"

Erikur froze as he looked forward, making eye contact with Feliciano Vargas and Leon as the two approached. Kiet tensed up as Leon made eye contact with him and quirked an eyebrow. "Sripuy?"

"Hey guys," Erikur forced out, his voice shaking. "What's up?"

"Oh, we wanted to catch a singer or two." Feliciano smiled and waved to Kiet, just now noticing his present. "You two are the Odd Couple, what gives?"

"Homework." Erikur tried to hide the surprise on his face as Kiet blurted out his response. "You see, I was helping him with English, and he offered to buy me food for tonight as payment."

"Good," Leon snickered, elbowing Erikur. "Eri here is terrible at English!"

"I know," Kiet said, chuckling. "That's why I'm here. Anyway, we need to get going. We've got another session to finish before his bedtime." Erikur flushed and the two quickly began to walk towards the parking lot. Kiet glanced behind his shoulder, before turning back to Erikur.

"Hey, uh…"

"Thanks for, uh… lying." Erikur was bright red as Kiet frowned. "I feel like shit about it, but it means a lot to me."

"I mean, it's fine." Kiet shrugged. "I don't want to rush you. You have to work through your own sexuality thing first, and it's not fair to out you without permission…"

"Mathilde did."

Kiet smirked as they approached the car. "Yeah, well, kind of glad she did." Kiet glanced down at his watch as he leaned against the trunk of his car. "We have an hour to kill before you have to make it home before curfew." Kiet glanced up and frowned. Erikur's face was scrunched up, his eyebrows furled together as he looked thoughtful.

"And fuck Alfred," Kiet said. "Whatever his issue is, it's stupid. Don't let him ruin our night."

Erikur forced a smile. "Yeah. Of course."

 **x x x**

"I'm just saying it's fucking weird."

Svea groaned loudly, burying her hands into her face. "Yeah, well, it's Alfred. He's just fucking weird." Timo shook his head and Mathilde glanced over at Lukas, who was sitting quietly listening to Erikur tell his story.

"Sounds like you just had a stressful night, man," Mathilde said. "I mean, seeing Alfred and Leon _and_ Feliciano Vargas? Rough."

"I didn't know Feliciano and Leon were friends," Svea added, tapping her chin. "I mean, to be fair, Feli is pretty nice and can get along with almost anyone, but I didn't think he ran in your group… or really, the 'in crowd' at all."

"He doesn't," Erikur confirmed. "But he is pretty friendly. Plus, he kind of expanded his circle when he started dating Monika… so he may not be like our best friend, but he has spoken to us… and like, I don't know how he and Leon interact…"

Lukas hummed, shaking his head as he said, "Something's off. Did you two talk to Yao?"

Svea groaned again. "He's been out the last three days for a college visit. We'll catch him Monday."

"Yeah we will!" Timo exclaimed. "He won't see what's about to hit him!" Svea groaned.

"Nothing will hit him!" Svea hissed, swatting him. Svea watched as Timo grinned at her, winking. She huffed. "Knock it off."

"Make me."

"Gross," Mathilde mumbled. Everyone turned to her. Svea turned bright red and Timo was grinning like a wolf. She shrugged, bringing her hand up to her mouth to cover her smirk. Lukas chuckled, looking down at the book in front of him.

"I think tomorrow I'll do some investigating," he finally said. "I'll be by myself, anyway. Willie said that since it's just me, I only have to do three hours, so I'll be out by noon, and he probably won't even monitor me at all." Everyone nodded and Lukas huffed. "Hopefully, I'll figure something out…"

 **x x x**

"What are you doing?"

Mathilde huffed, grabbing the binoculars as she peered through them over the ledge of the top of the school. "So, I found out that whoever owns that one car parks in the same spot every day…"

"And this is why we aren't studying for your exam on Tuesday?"

Mathilde snorted. "Lukas, why do you think my book is open next to me?"

"You're not even looking at it." Lukas rolled his eyes and Mathilde chuckled. Lukas huffed as the door flew open. Mathilde leapt up and turned, hiding the binoculars behind her back as Lukas held back an audible groan.

"Jan!" Mathilde exclaimed, her voice wavering. "What's up? Come to join the party?"

"Hey, Thilde." Jan waved lazily at her as he glanced over at Lukas, who adverted his gaze. Jan snorted. "Well, I guess you're not going to want to go out with the guys and I later…"

"You know, you could ask." Mathilde's eyes narrowed, adding, "Instead of being such a petty little bitch about it."

"Wouldn't want to interrupt your hangout time with this freak." Lukas balled his fists, but stayed silent.

"Again, you could ask. And maybe, instead of being a cold bastard, you could extend the invite? Kiet and Jake would."

"Yeah, well, I'm not Kiet or Jake," he replied, sending another dirty look towards Lukas. "Besides, it's only a matter of time before Kiet brings his little date around too. I can hardly stand Camille…"

"But it's _totally_ fine if Lien comes."

Jan glared at Mathilde now, huffing. "Lien is different. She's better company than Cami. And definitely a better person than that asshole over there."

"You're only saying that because you like her." Mathilde tried to hide the bitter tone in her voice, but Lukas quirked an eyebrow. She glanced at him as he shook his head, making it clear it was obvious to him. "Which, if your significant other can hang around…"

"Well, since you aren't dating him… then he still can't hang."

"Well, then maybe we should, since _apparently_ that's the only way we can hang out!" Mathilde joked, rolling her eyes. Lukas flushed, but laughed in response.

"Why the hell would you? You shouldn't!"

"Why does it matter who I date? Worried he'll be a better lay than you?"

"Hard to believe. But that's all you were good for. Not girlfriend material at all. He'd be an idiot to even think you could be a good girlfriend."

Mathilde's eyes widened and Lukas stood up. "Back off, Johannes!" Lukas shouted. "If you came up here to insult her, then leave. I can't believe you treat your friends like that. Amazing you even have any!"

"Stay out of this, Thomassen." Jan balled his fist and stepped forward. "You're going to sit there and act holier than thou? You're judgmental, how is that any better than this?"

"Because you're being _unfair_!" Lukas shouted. "Mathilde did _nothing_ but have other friends and just because you're insecure in your friendship or jealous or possessive doesn't mean you can attack her character!"

Jan glanced over at Mathilde, who bit her lip and nodded. "You should leave. We need to study for an exam and… well… I'll text the group later… we'll see…"

Jan huffed. "What-fucking-ever." He turned around and opened the door, slamming it shut behind him as he stormed from the roof. Mathilde huffed as Lukas sat back down next to her.

"He's not all bad."

"I cannot believe you're defending him!"

"…he didn't have anything to do with the gym, either." Mathilde inhaled. "He hangs around after school because he… well, Jan's family is dirt poor. They have three kids and they work so many jobs and barely have enough to pay bills, so Jan tries to help out wherever he can and sometimes his methods aren't… _traditional_ …"

Lukas quirked an eyebrow. "So, the bag…?"

"He's a dealer… it's the only way he can get his shit around the school and meet clients without getting caught. I mean it, he means well… and he _is_ insecure, because like… he's worried about his future."

Mathilde shrugged and pulled her knees to her chest. "It's really hard. He probably can't even go to college and Jake's been scouted by so many schools for wrestling and Kiet's got so many choices…"

Mathilde shrugged. "It's hard. Like, my group of friends… we're weird and fucked up, but we kind of work?"

"Do you still have feelings for him?"

The words left his mouth before his brain could stop him. "Uh, what?" Mathilde asked, tilting her head. "Well, I care for him as a friend… but…" She shrugged. "Besides, we wouldn't have been a good pair, and… well…" Lukas frowned and she shrugged her shoulders again.

"You know, he said those things because he was hurt, so…" Lukas looked down at his hands. "You're probably girlfriend material…"

"Probably?" Mathilde rolled her eyes. "Gee, that probably makes me feel all warm inside…"

Lukas smirked, nudging her gently as he murmured, "Shut up. Hey, wait… the car?"

Mathilde jumped up and whirled around. "Fuck! Right!" Lukas stood up too and frowned as Mathilde let out a shriek. "Dammit! They must've left during that fucking fiasco…"

Turning to Mathilde, Lukas asked, "Is there a list of people who just turned sixteen?"


	28. Compromise

The chapters kind of get shorter after this one, ngl. It's mostly due to how I divide things up, as well as all these chapters were written before the hiatus, so I was balancing school and working on this. Whoops.

I'm trying to decide how to get everyone super involved in my next project too. Like deciding wise. Like if anyone has ideas let me know but i may just tell ya'll to look at a tumblr post or something because jesus i'm clueless and don't have much of a plan for anything...

uh kinda filler because it makes the next chapter's transition eeaaaasieeeer...?

it's 3 am friends just don't ask questions.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Compromise_

Svea wiped her forehead as she set down the tray of empty glasses in the window, smiling at the cook across from her. "You've been missing lately, Svea. What's up?" the loud, redheaded woman asked.

"Just kind of caught up in shit at school. The usual."

"A new boytoy, perhaps?"

"Shut it, Mama."

Mama grinned like a wolf as Svea whirled around, her heart sinking as the door opened. Timo and Anya walked into the diner, hand-in-hand as they spoke to the young hostess as she led them to a table in her section.

"Table G! Is something wrong?" Mama asked, sliding out a plate of eggs and sausages. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Svea shook her head and turned around, grabbing the plate as she turned and began to walk towards the table. She inhaled sharply, making her way over to the table that held her best friend and… Timo.

"Hi, what can I start you two out with?"

"Svea!" Anya giggled. Svea nodded. Timo's eyes widened, looking up at her in shock. Anya was easygoing and was a sweetheart, so Svea had told her about her job at this diner, so it was obvious to her why Anya was so at ease.

Yet, Svea knew Timo didn't know.

"Uh…" Timo hummed in confusion as Anya grabbed her hand.

"I'll have my usual coffee, you know how I like it," Anya babbled. "And uh, we'll be on separate checks too, by the way."

"Uh, water." Timo blinked as Svea nodded, walking towards the coffee maker as Mama whistled low, appearing from the kitchen. Svea rolled her eyes.

"Friends?"

"Anya is. You know her."

"She's cute. The boy is cuter. Name?"

"Asshole. Annoying asshole." Svea rolled her eyes. "Also, he's like, forty years your junior. And you're married." Mama smirked, crossing her arms as Svea grabbed some sugar, cream, and caramel drizzle.

"You're single, and I see the way that boy is lookin' at you." Mama watched Svea whirl around and quirk an eyebrow. "Rusty looks at me the same way, even after all this time."

"He's shocked, is all." Svea grabbed a water pitcher and a glass. "He thinks I'm some spoiled rotten rich bitch. Doesn't think I know a hard day's work."

"Rusty and I were the same way," Mama snickered. "God, you remind me of me. And he is Rusty… better looking by far though. My boy was a bucktoothed loser."

"Shut up, Mama." Svea grabbed the cup of coffee and the glass of water, walking away.

 **x x x**

"Svea works here?"

Timo looked down at his glass of water as Anya nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. She grinned. "Yeah. She's worked here since she was fourteen. She did a lot of lying, but Mama… err, Miss Marnie, the owner, knew her father from a few jobs he did around here for her…"

Anya tapped her chin. "She never mentioned it to you?"

Timo assumed she had… actually, she did, once, when she refused to take a ride from him. She got off work and he met her at some gas station, where she was changed ready to go to the school.

"Never said where she worked, I guess… and well…"

"You thought she was stuck-up," Anya mused. "Svea mentioned it. If there's anyone in our friend group who _isn't_ stuck up, it's Svea. She's the group mom. She's so selfless…" Anya sighed. "That's why she's my best friend…"

"Oh." Timo fidgeted with the paper wrapping from his straw. "She's, uh, she's alright."

Anya frowned. "She's more than alright, and I think you agree. You're just a stubborn boy."

"Let's just enjoy our date…" Anya nodded and they made idle small talk. Timo stole glances at their waitress and Svea popped in a few times to check on them, which Anya would laugh and get verification for whatever story she was telling.

Timo huffed and rolled his eyes as Svea desperately looked anywhere but at him, even when she delivered their dinner plates. "Hey, Anya, I, uh… I have kind of a weird question…"

"What?"

Timo inhaled sharply, biting his lip. "Well, Svea mentioned something to me… about Yao Wang…"

Anya didn't even look phased. "Yeah," Anya mumbled. "We, uh, we've been on and off. This is like… my first time with someone other than him. He's really sweet. And he's so smart. And he's incredible, but… he's going to college…"

Timo frowned. "You seem to really have liked him."

"I do… did, I guess." Anya shrugged. "But, it's better to move on than dwell."

Timo hummed in thought, glancing over at Svea. "Yeah, guess you're right."

 **x x x**

"How was your date?"

Svea swung her keys and narrowed her eyes as Timo smirked, crossing his legs as Svea approached her car. "It was fine, how was work?" he asked. Svea shrugged. "You should've given me a discount."

"Trust me, Mama would've let you eat for free," Svea sneered. "She thinks you're cute. Now, mind telling me why you're sitting on my car instead of waltzing my best friend off into the sunset?"

Timo frowned and Svea tapped her chin. "Oh, and what happened to not being interested?"

"She and I were texting, she asked, and I took it up. She's nice, really pretty… kind of built."

"Shut the hell up." Svea rolled her eyes. "Fucking pig."

"But I'm more curious about you now," Timo stated. "One moment, you're the Queen Bitch of the Junior Class who doesn't have time for peasants, and the next, you're Working Class Svea, who is apparently not above cleaning baby vomit off a table." Svea shook her head and Timo slid off the car. "So, which Svea are you?"

"Look, I don't have to explain myself to you." Svea frowned and Timo held up his hands. "And if you're going to judge me for having a job, go to hell. I can't win with you."

"I just am curious," Timo said. Svea's stomach began to grumble, making Timo laugh loudly. "Hungry? We can head inside…"

"My dad probably has dinner for me at home… and didn't you just eat?"

Timo grinned. "What can I say? I'm a growing boy."

 **x x x**

"Who is it?"

Erikur watched as Kiet hung up, reentering his living room as Erikur moved his feet from Kiet's spot on the sofa. "Jan. He called to tell me they're having some thing at his place. Practically begged me to come over."

Erikur quirked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"He and Thilde got into I guess. It's apparently so bad that he feels I need to be there, and Jake even took the phone from him and begged me to be there.

"Well, are you going to go?"

"Your parents are out of town for the weekend on some God retreat, so you have freedom to have me over without shame, and you're asking me if I'm going to my friend's party to play damage control?"

"I mean, I got you the last two nights. It's chill." Erikur shrugged as Kiet sat back down next to him, rolling his eyes. "Besides, sounds like they might need damage control, if Jake's even telling you to be there."

"Jan is just moody and he can't accept the fact Mathilde is hanging out with other people, and that she may have found an actual boyfriend."

Erikur chuckled as Kiet grabbed his can of soda. "Besides," he added, bringing the can to his lips and taking a sip. "They'll have to work through it themselves. I'm not always gonna be here… and to be fair, Jan also is demanding my presence since he knows I'm with my date."

Erikur gulped loudly. "Oh, yeah… do… they, uh…" Kiet shook his head.

"Mathilde is the only one. They know I've been kind of seeing someone and that we're seeing what happens, but I never told them a name or age. Jake would be ecstatic even if I was dating Satan." Kiet rolled his eyes.

"But Jan… he's not my biggest fan," Erikur mumbled, crossing his arms. Kiet laughed. "And like, I don't wanna start anymore shit in your group…"

Kiet shook his head. "Jan is moody no matter what. He's worried about losing his friends, which is fair. But if I sit his ass down and tell him what's what, he'll leave you be. He kind of has some little brother kind of admiration for me."

Erikur nodded. "Why don't you come with?" Kiet suggested.

"What?" Erikur sputtered.

"I mean, we've been on a few dates… and like, it's not fair that we plan this and I bail."

"It's totally fine."

"I don't get to see you tomorrow."

"It's fine, really!" Erikur insisted.

"Eri, come on." Kiet crossed his arms, glaring at him. "Is this about coming out? My friends will not tell anyone… I'll even swear Jake to secrecy so he won't tell Camille!"

Erikur shook his head. "It's not that… it's just… meeting the friends seems kind of _soon_ , right?"

"You know Mathilde," Kiet argued. "And it's not like meeting my mom. I'm not proposing to you."

"I knew Mathilde before you asked me out!" Erikur retorted. "And it's just…"

"My friends aren't cool enough and make you uncomfortable."

Erikur huffed. "Uncalled for. You know that's not true. I just really don't wanna rush this, in case… well, it doesn't work out." Kiet rolled his eyes in response. "It's a fair response! You aren't worried?"

"No, because I'm comfortable with myself."

Kiet's eyes widened as he covered his mouth. Erikur gaped in awe. "That… that was out of line," Kiet admitted. "And I was being a dick. I'm really… really fucking sorry." Erikur inhaled sharply. "Eri, I mean it. You don't have to go… and I won't go either… unless you, uh…"

"That was really fucking uncalled for," Erikur deadpanned, his voice void of any emotion. "I thought you were okay with waiting?"

"I am! It's just… I was being a dick." Kiet looked down at the ground and Erikur inhaled. "Yeah, that was totally uncool of me. You shouldn't have to constantly validate yourself to me."

"Yeah…" Erikur forced a smile. "But, you understand why it's this way, right? I mean, it's not the same situation as your dad, but… it's still kind of detrimental if they find out before I tell them and I'm ready to deal with them, right?" Kiet nodded, although things were still a bit unclear. Erikur nodded in return, his smile becoming more genuine. "And… I guess I'll go with you."

"You don't have to, I shouldn't have…"

"No, it's fine. Besides, I'm normally in the house all weekend, anyway." Erikur shrugged. "If it blows, we come back here."

Kiet smiled. "Thanks."

 **x x x**

"Daddy?"

"Svea!"

Timo kicked off his shoes, examining the small shack as Svea rushed into the small living room. "You're still in your work clothes?" Svea asked, poking her head into the kitchen. Timo followed behind her.

"Took a couple extra calls. I got off twenty minutes ago, figured I should make some dinner…" Her dad squinted his eyes, looking over at Timo. "Who's that?"

"Daddy, this is Timo. A friend of mine from school." Timo smiled as Svea's father's eyes narrowed in discontent.

"Hi, Mr. Oxenstierna… uh, don't worry about feeding me!"

"No, no," Mr. Oxenstierna said. "It's fine… I have plenty for tonight. It's just… _friend_ , sweetie?"

"Yes, dad, he's a _friend_." Svea rolled her eyes. "Don't need your overprotective dad monologue today." She waved him off as he smiled, his expression softening as Timo nervously laughed. "Besides, he already looks terrified."

"I was wondering… I thought you liked boys with a bit more spine to them."

The two laughed and Svea waved to her dad. "Call us when you're ready. We'll be in my room… with the door open!" she added as an afterthought, laughing as she grabbed Timo's hand and led him down a narrow and short hallway to her room.

"Wow, uh, you and your dad are close."

Svea nodded as she sat down in her bed, turning the bedside lamp on. "It's been just us since I was little." Svea looked over at the picture next to the lamp. "He's done everything for me and he struggles a lot. He always wanted the best for me."

Timo nodded, sitting down on the foot of her bed as he glanced over at her closet door. It was open and on the inside, a big, blue ball gown was hung from the door. Timo laughed. "I can tell."

Svea sighed. "It's rough. So I do what I can. My paycheck isn't great but the tips are alright…" Timo nodded. "And so, yeah, I'm a fake. I act like hot shit and made fun of people who are like me, because it's cool and my friends expect it."

Timo laughed. "I get financial stress and your parents wanting the best. My family is still paying off bills that I racked up as a child." Svea hummed, tilting her head in confusion. "I… I was an angry kid. I had a huge temper and to be fair, I was super aggressive and scrappy. I think it was because I was so small and I felt like I had to prove myself…"

"Explains a lot," Svea joked. Timo shrugged.

"So, when I was a child, I beat the shit out of everyone. When I was eleven, I put a kid in the hospital for calling me 'short stuff' and then I was sent to anger management and my family had that bill and the kid's hospital bill. It was a lot of money, and they had not only me but also two other siblings… I feel bad now."

Svea frowned. "I mean, you're… not like that now."

"I control it better," Timo said. "Sometimes it's hard. People are aggravating, but… I make it work."

Svea nodded in agreement. "Except, I feel bad because I feel my dad wasted all this money on that dress…"

"You'll wear it. You're gonna be asked. Probably by Jones."

Svea rolled her eyes. "I don't really want to go with him."

"You'll still be asked. You're too pretty not to."

Timo flushed as Svea blinked, her jaw dropping slightly. Timo chuckled nervously. "I mean it. I give you shit about being a spoiled rotten brat and the likes, but I'd either be a liar or blind if I didn't think you were…"

"So… are you proposing you and I go together?"

Timo turned bright red, pulling at the collar of his shirt. "Uh… I mean, we can… as friends… that would be chill…"

Svea smiled. "Uh, you know… I wouldn't necessarily mind that…"

 **x x x**

"Him? He's the fucking new boyfriend?"

Erikr gulped as Jan slammed the glass bottle of beer down onto the counter as Kiet's eyes narrowed. "Back the fuck off, Jan. He's been here for two hours and you choose to freak out now?"

"I'm with Jan on this…" Lien frowned, placing her hands on her hips as she stepped next to Jan. Erikur gulped as she added, "This guy treated you like shit."

"We've worked it out, and you don't even know him."

"What would your mother say?"

"She'd say, 'I hope he's treating you right because he's absolutely adorable.'" Erikur turned pink as Kiet smirked at Lien, who shrugged and mumbled something that sounded like confirmation. Jan glared at Lien, who just shrugged.

"Some help you are."

"I mean," Lien said, but didn't finish whatever her thought was. Erikur watched as Jan turned back to Kiet.

"And let me guess, Mathilde made this happen?"

"You damn right I did!" Mathilde shouted, entering the kitchen and leaning on Erikur, swaying gently. "Aren't they the cutest?" she slurred and Erikur shook his head. "They're gonna get married…"

"Yeah, and then he'll hit you and leave you for a super model…"

"I wish you wouldn't be so defensive." Kiet sighed. "Just give him a chance. We aren't even like, officially dating."

"Like hell I will!"

"Fair," Erikur mumbled. Kiet sighed.

"Well, this was a fun two hours, but we're going to go." Kiet turned around, grabbing Erikur's hand as Mathilde detached herself from him, waving to them. "Bye. And maybe we can talk when you're not crossfaded, Jan."

"Like you're any better," he sneered.

"Fuck off," Kiet said, pulling Erikur towards the back door. Erikur grabbed the car keys from Kiet, frowning as Kiet balled his fists.

"I'll drive… we can go back to my place and you can stay there… you can't drive home, anyway."

Kiet just nodded as they slid into the car. Erikur turned on the radio and they drove off, with Kiet only moving to change the station whenever a station decided to play a commercial. When they reached Erikur's house, Kiet let out a dramatic sigh.

"You were right."

"I mean, yeah," Erikur said. Kiet glared. "But, Jan's gonna be like that no matter what. And he has a point. I wasn't amazing to you. But, also, he should give me a chance… especially if you wanna be official."

Erikur turned off the car and opened the door. Kiet hummed in thought, opening his own as they approached the front door. Erikur handed Kiet his car keys back before he fished into his jean pocket for the keys to the house. Kiet hummed again.

"I do."

"You do what?" Erikur asked, grabbing the key and unlocking the front door.

"I do want to be official."

"No offense," Erikur began, "but I'm gonna be honest… you're not completely sober so I'm not comfortable with saying we're official."

"I mean, I won't change my mind when I am."

"I still feel like that's manipulative."

"You're not," Kiet protested. "Do you not want to?"

"I think we need to talk when you're not blazed out of your mind," Erikur said, flicking his nose as he ushered Kiet inside, shutting and locking the door behind him. "You can have my bed, I'll take the sofa."

"We could share."

"Manipulative and too soon," Erikur stated. Kiet rolled his eyes.

"You have a king sized bed, and you expect me to be in it by myself?"

"Yes."

Kiet shook his head. "Asshole," he whispered. "At least give me a goodnight kiss?"

Erikur smirked. "I don't know… manip– "

"I swear if you say that fucking word…"

Erikur rolled his eyes and leaned down, mumbling, "Fine," as Kiet closed the gap.


	29. Turning Points, Part I

_SO EXPLANATION:_ the time skip is a cheap cop-out. Not gonna lie, I had issues with like a timeline for this story if that wasn't GLARINGLY obvious. I also feel like to avoid this story being like 100000 chapters, it was easier to have this time skip. Nothing of major importance happened during this skip - nobody kissed besides the now establish IceThai pair, and nobody got pregnant, so you know that's pretty nifty.

I didn't like how the original chapter flowed, so it's in two parts now. Because why not.

I also had to divide the BIG CHAPTER into two parts and then i added a follow-up because it would've been super long if i had those three parts all in one chapter, so now it's like ending up 44 chapters so that's WILD again. EVERYTHING IS WILD FRIENDS.

 ** _super fucking duper_ important note:** so I had earlier fallen asleep with the laptop on my bed and knocked it off. While untangling cords and picking it up, my charging cord ripped like in half. It was already frayed anyway, so it was only a matter of time. But now I am unable to charge my laptop.

This isn't a major issue or a huge setback. I am currently at home for Christmas and my mother also has the same laptop as me, so during the day while she's working, I'll be able to borrow hers. However, as of late, she's been working from home, so there may be days I won't be able to upload due to a dead laptop and no access to a charger.

With Christmas next week / the fact I do _kinda_ need my laptop, I should be able to get a charger between now and after the 28th of December. Thanks for being patient.

(when the authoress notes are this long someone needs to stop me).

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Turning Points, Part I_

Two weeks. It was two weeks later that the group realized that they had yet to accomplish anything in their search. Yao had been elusive, and anytime they tried to catch him by himself, but he always seemed to be one step ahead. Whenever Svea would catch him, Anya would be by his side, and Svea felt her judging gaze, so she often times left it be.

To be fair, their personal affairs had kind of gotten in the way of everything, too. Lukas all but exclusively hung around the group now, without giving his old friends so much as a second glance. More specifically, he hung around Mathilde. Svea and Timo continued afternoon sessions at the nursing home and hung out together a lot, while Erikur also split his time between the group, his sophomore friends, and his new boyfriend.

However, the group suddenly realized it was crunch time.

"It's been over a month. And nobody wants to come clean."

"Gee, I wonder why," Mathilde shot back as Mr. Willie rolled his eyes. "It's almost like we had nothing to do with it."

"No prom. For any of you."

"I'm a sophomore."

Erikur smirked but Mr. Willie returned it. "You're banned from homecoming and prom next year, then."

Erikur rolled his eyes as Mr. Willie left the library. The group exchanged worried glances.

"We need to act. Now. No more fucking around…"

 **x x x**

"Yao!"

Svea and Timo collapsed across from him as he closed his tablet, looking around the library as he cleared his throat. "Quite the duo. What can I do for you?" Yao asked. Svea frowned.

"Your car was at the school two weeks ago, and you were destroying the gym."

Yao rolled his eyes. "Okay, well, that was a fun little joke…"

"It's not a joke." Timo pulled out a picture of the car, the license plate clear as day and the time stamp on the photo further proving they were serious. "Is this your car, at the school, at this time?"

Yao's eyes widened. "That is my car… but… I wasn't at the school." Yao frowned as Svea groaned.

"We don't have time to play games, Yao!" Svea shouted. "What do you have against us? What's going on? What did we ever do to you?"

"Calm down," Timo hissed. "And lower your voice… but Svea is right… you expect us to believe your car somehow drove itself to the school?"

Yao blinked. "I'm not an only child, so it's likely that…"

Svea and Timo blinked. "What?"

"I have half-siblings." Yao quirked an eyebrow. "Didn't you two know?"

 **x x x**

"Erikur."

Erikur looked up from the textbook on his desk as Leon poked his arm. "What's up?" he asked. Leon looked around the classroom and Erikur's stomach began to quiver as Leon huffed. "Uh, Leon?"

"What's really going on with you and Kiet Sripuy?"

"We study and hang out." Erikur shrugged in response, trying to play it off. "He's alright." Erikur felt the words turn sour in his mouth, because he hated not being able to gush.

"Liar."

Erikur's heart stopped and his stomach dropped. "What?"

"You two were on a date two weeks ago. Feli and I saw you both. You two have been dating. And it's really fucked up you didn't tell your best friend."

"How did you find out?"

"How could you sit here and lie to us? And to Elise?"

Erikur huffed. "I didn't lie about having a date. But anyway, how did you find out? I haven't told anyone in our group of friends who I'm dating. There's no way…"

"So you are together?" Leon snorted. "Wow, you sure changed."

"For the fucking better!" Erikur hissed. "You know, you're being an asshole about this. Sorry I didn't tell you, but I have my reasons. But what are you going to do about? Are you going to stop being my friend because I like boys?"

"No! You know me better than that! My own brother is gay!" Leon sputtered. "I just wish you would've told me. But… why _him_?"

Erikur narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "You don't even fucking know him."

"I'm just asking!"

"And I'm asking how you found out!"

"Steilsson! Wang! Is there a problem?" Their history teacher shouted.

"No sir," the two replied, looking down at their desks as the teacher huffed, picking up his lecture where he left off. After the class, Erikur stood up and Leon glared.

"Make smart choices," Leon warned.

"Trust me, I've been making them."

 **x x x**

"Svea."

Alfred glared at Svea as he slammed her locker shut in front of her. "I have detention. I don't have time for this…"

"You've been ignoring me!" Alfred shouted. Svea chuckled, rolling her eyes as he glared.

"Very observant," Svea sneered. "Anything else?"

"Are we going to prom together?"

"No," she deadpanned. She smirked when he looked on in shock. "Someone else asked me two weeks ago." Alfred grabbed her arm and she hissed. "What?"

"Who was it?"

"None of your fucking business."

Svea shrugged as Alfred's eyes narrowed. "It's Väinämöinen, isn't it?" When Svea said nothing, Alfred chuckled darkly. "Oh, honey, do you really think he's going to want to go with a slut like you? Does he even know where you were last Sunday?"

Svea growled, balling her fists. "Not with you. And you stay out of my business."

"You said we'd be exclusive!"

"But right after I said that, you, once again, went around running your mouth to your friends again _and_ you went off with two other girls, so how the hell are we suppose to be exclusively fucking?" Svea rolled her eyes. "Besides, being exclusive implies I'm dating you, and I don't want to make that mistake again."

"Oh, and you want to date that loser?"

Svea frowned. "Is it any of your business if I do?" she snapped.

"Say goodbye to your social status, then," Alfred growled. "You know, crossing me isn't your smartest move."

Svea narrowed her eyes. "Go to hell, Jones."

 **x x x**

"Yao Wang has siblings."

Erikur quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, you didn't know?" he said, looking over at Timo as the blond gnawed on a pen. "Manual and Leon are his half-brothers. They've got some super dramatic family shit, his dad is a serial dater or something…"

"Erikur…" Svea's voice was gentle, her hands folded in her lap. "Yao Wang didn't drive to school that night."

Mathilde watched Erikur's eyes widened. Lukas' eyes narrowed as his fists balled up. "What the hell? We already know it's not Manual… so…"

"It can't be…" Erikur gripped the table, his brows knitting together as his knuckles turned white. "Hell no. He wouldn't do that. It can't be…"

"Well, that's not all…"

Lukas inhaled, pulling out a list of names, with a few highlighted in bright green. "You see… anyone who just turned sixteen wouldn't have their car on school record. Leon's too young to drive, but it makes sense he would steal Yao's car."

"So, what are you saying?" Svea asked.

"Mathilde and I had tried to figure out who the owner of the other car was," Lukas explained. "It didn't work out quite right, but I pulled out the birthday list from the school records."

"Because anyone who turned sixteen recently wouldn't have turned in a form about their car," Erikur mumbled. "Good thinking, Lu."

"Well, we have a few options, but…" Mathilde look down at the list. "We think it's Feliciano Vargas."

"Feliciano?" Svea started laughing, shaking her head as Timo smirked at the two. "He's… I mean, he's too nice. There is no way."

"Yeah, what proof do you have that it's him?" Timo asked.

"Well, considering the person who spray painted the gym is not only artistically talented, but the handwriting is eerily similar…" Lukas retorted, narrowing his eyes as Timo and Svea began to laugh.

"There is no fucking way."

Erikur mumbled, "Dammit." The group turned to Erikur who shook his head. "It has to be Feli. He was with Leon that night… when Alfred came up to me… and Alfred… he said he was meeting people."

"So for sure it's that douchebag?" Mathilde wondered. "Like, it makes sense. Didn't Raya say that Alfred was paying her?" Lukas nodded, crossing his arms as he closed his eyes and sighed loudly. "So… everything is pointing back to Alfred. But why?"

"We can't just go on assumptions," Svea protested. "We do need a motive, but we also need evidence. It's all circumstantial evidence right now. And… well, we need to confirm it's Leon and Feli… although, it seems for certain that Leon is behind this, seeing as Manual…"

"We get it." Clenching his fists, Erikur inhaled sharply. "I got Leon. One of you get Feliciano. Besides, Leon is getting on my nerves after our little confrontation from earlier today."

Mathilde frowned.


	30. Turning Points, Part II

Due to my opinion the cliffhanger in Part I was trash: HERE IS PART TWO.

I'm still really bitter about my charger LMAO.

kudos to anyone who READS my long ass notes at the beginning as of late. I'm just a talkative person and I enjoy just letting you know my thoughts and feelings and plans. And I also enjoy keeping everyone in the loop. Thirty chapters in and I feel like now is a good time to mention I read every single review and I enjoy hearing everything you guys say and whatnot. It makes me happy as hell. And it's the support on this that has kind of cemented my decision to write more stories. I look forward to seeing how you guys will react to what I have coming up, and that you'll continue to support me.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Turning Points, Part II_

"Lukas."

Lukas glanced up from the book in his hand as his mother opened the door. "Your little friend is here." Lukas quirked an eyebrow. He knew Mathilde wasn't coming over today. "You know, the one next door?" she inquired, crossing her arm.

"Indre?" Lukas asked.

"Yes, her," Emilie confirmed. "She's waiting outside. She said it's urgent."

Lukas figured it had to be. Since his falling out with the whole group, Lukas had no interaction with his old group of friends, opting for the new ones he had made instead. He swung his legs off of his bed, planting his feet on the floor.

"Tell her I'll be right out."

His mother blinked. "You don't… want me to let her in?"

"No, Emilie." Lukas stood up, walking over to the doorway. Emilie frowned, leaning in towards Lukas and grabbing his shoulder.

"Hold on." Lukas huffed. "Lukas, we need to talk."

"Can this wait?"

"Lukas, your… _different_."

Lukas rolled his eyes. "Mom, seriously. If this is going to turn into a lecture about my friends… my new friends…"

"I just…"

Lukas narrowed his eyes. "You just _what_?"

"She's… not… I don't think she's the best influence… especially if she's the vandal…"

Lukas shook his head, taking a step back. "Everyone makes fun of me for not being more social and making more friends. Then, I make friends. Friends that actually care about me and don't want to put me down and support my decisions… and now that's not okay?" Lukas snarled.

"That's not…"

"No, that's exactly what you meant!" Lukas shouted. "Where the hell do you get off acting like my damn mother? Last time I checked, you were too busy being selfish or getting drunk to even bother being my parent."

Emilie's eyes narrowed. "Lukas…"

"No, Emilie, this is a serious issue!" Lukas shouted. "I'm tired of living with a mom who decides to care when suddenly, I choose to stand up against your shitty choices. Had I not had Mathilde, I would've had a mom who only cared if I stole her alcohol. She wouldn't care if I fucking…!"

Emilie raised her hand and brought it down across his cheek. Lukas blinked, rolling his eyes as he clenched his fists. "Oh… fuck, baby, Lukas, honey…"

"Get out of my way, I have to go talk to Indre…"

 **x x x**

"What are you doing here?"

Erikur opened the door, looking at Kiet with shock and confusion. "I didn't catch you after school… uh, Mathilde said you were upset about something…"

"I, uh, am, but…" Erikur glanced over his shoulder. "You seriously can't be here," he whispered, turning around again. Kiet frowned. "I mean it. My mom, she's…" his mouth grew dry as Kiet crossed his arms. "Don't…"

"Erikur! Who's at the door?"

A skinny woman appeared behind Erikur. He jumped and turned to her, forcing a smile on his face. The woman's eyes narrowed as she peered by her son, glaring at Kiet. "Hm, is that the Sripuy boy?"

"Uh, yeah, he's just here to ask if I had finished the paper's he's gonna proofread for me."

Kiet waved to the woman, who in response turned her nose up. "Really?" she sneered. "Well, I wish you had found someone more moral and appropriate…"

"Mom, he's one of the smartest seniors," Erikur grumbled. His mother's gaze snapped towards him, biting her bottom lip as her face grew red. Kiet felt uneasy, looking between Erikur and his mother.

"Don't talk back to me!" she shouted.

"Sorry, Mom…" Erikur whispered. He tried to shrink down, making himself appear as small as possible. "Uh, I'll… Kiet, I'll text you when I finish… maybe I can just email it to you tonight…"

"Right, sounds, uh, good…" Kiet nodded as Erikur turned to face him. However, Erikur avoided his glance, keeping his eyes on the ground as he closed the door without another word.

Kiet inhaled sharply, clenching his fists. Something wasn't quite right…

 **x x x**

"Lukas…"

Indre stood in front of the door, a box of a dozen cupcakes in one arm, opened to display a heartfelt message written on the inside of the box, while the cupcakes were decorated with the words prom, her name, and the name of Feliks.

"What the fuck is this?"

"We had a deal. I told Feliks how to ask you to prom, he helped us find out information about who's framing us." Lukas rolled his eyes. "However, I feel bad, since I had to inform him you and I hadn't spoken in a while… so, you do whatever you want…"

Lukas was prepared to step back inside and go back to whatever he was doing, but Indre frowned. "I just… I thought…"

"You thought what?" Lukas asked.

"Well, that maybe you'd realize… well, your mistake, and…"

"Ask you? At this rate, because of something my so called 'friend' is aiding someone in, I won't be able to go to prom, so even if I could, I probably wouldn't have asked you." Lukas rolled his eyes. "Especially after the way you shut me out."

Indre frowned. "Well, not like you had any other options on who to ask. You wouldn't dare ask Mathilde Densen…" When Lukas didn't reply, she wrinkled her nose. "…would you?"

"Thilde has proven a lot to me." Lukas frowned. "She's so kind, loyal… she has my back." Indre rolled her eyes.

"You sound like you're in love with her. God, the way you look at her… the way you talk about her…" Lukas blinked. "I've seen it before… and to be fair, I still see it now… with Feliks."

"So, why pine for me, when you have someone willing to make it up to you?"

"Because you were… you didn't ditch me!"

"But you ditched me!" Lukas bit his lip. "You shut me out. You and Arthur and Traian and _Raya_." He made a sour face, as if Raya's name was disgusting to say. "And now you come here telling me you wanted me to ask you to prom? As if I was going to after you guys shunned me."

Indre said nothing but frowned. "You were attacking Raya!"

"Yeah, not within reason…" Lukas sighed. "You know, it sucks. For like, ever, you were one of my best friends. I thought you would always have my back and would be able to support me and listen to me… and well, the fact nobody even asked me why I reacted the way I did…"

Indre set the cupcakes down on the porch, closing the top of the box. "It's just… I'm worried, Lukas. Mathilde, Timo… I've heard all the rumors… and Mathilde… can you really even date a girl like her?"

Lukas bit his lip, thinking back on the time he had spent with her. Mathilde, yes, had a wild streak. She had friends who enjoyed drinking and partying and smoking pot. She pined for boys who wanted nothing to do with her outside of sex, and when she went off on her own, they called her names he couldn't bare to hear. She was fun and outgoing. She was welcoming, friendly, warm, and had the biggest heart…

"Yeah, I can."

Indre wrinkled her nose. "You can't be serious."

Lukas smirked, waving her off. "You know what? I am."

 **x x x**

"Let me see your phone."

Erikur blinked as his mother held out her hand. "Mom, what?"

"Let me see your phone," she repeated. "I want to see what that little faggot texts you."

"Don't talk about him like that!" Erikur snapped. "You should be praising him because thanks to him, I went from a B to an A-. You're basically insulting someone who is helping me be the perfect son you want."

She slapped him. "That's the second time you've ran your stupid little mouth!"

"Because you're being rude!" Erikur argued. His mother slapped him again. He pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocking it and passing it to his mother. She scanned the phone, scrolling through the messages as Erikur bit his lip.

"I cannot believe you associate with such a disgusting boy."

"Knock it off!"

Erikur's face turned red as his mother looked up, eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" she shouted. "You disgusting, pathetic little child! You're terrible! You realize what you are? A goddam waste of space! You shouldn't have even been here."

"Yeah, take out the guilt of the fact you and dad didn't wait until marriage for me." Erikur's whisper set his mother off into a rage as she slapped him again hard. Erikur narrowed his eyes as she grabbed his arm, trying to drag him into the hall.

"You stupid fucking kid!"

"Let go!"

"What's going on in here?"

The door from the garage slammed shut and Erikur's heart stopped. His mother smirked, releasing her grip on Erikur. "Your son… oh, you won't believe what this little shit said to me…"

Erikur gulped.


	31. What Motive?

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! My grandparents took my brother Christmas shopping last night at Best Buy. I tagged along and got a new charger. Praise my lord and savior, Snoop Dogg, that I was able to convince them to get it for me so soon.

amazing that this is over in 13 chapters, the fact i have up to 37 completed, and just the fact this will be done soon. wild.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _What Motive?_

"Feliciano."

Svea approached the younger brunet, a soft smile on her face as he grinned. He waved, saying, "Oh, hey Svea! How are you?"

"I'm great, hey, listen…" She grabbed his arm, closing his locker as she glanced around. "I need you to come with me. It's super urgent, and it's really private. I can't tell you here in the halls, but…"

"Say no more! I'll help! Anything for one of Monika's best friends!"

Svea smirked. "Thanks, Feli."

She led him down the hallway, before reaching a small door tucked between to classrooms. "Isn't this a storage closet for…?" Svea opened it and nudged him inside, closing the door behind them as she flipped on the lights.

"Is this the suspect?" Mathilde giggled. Feliciano jumped, turning to face Mathilde as she emerged from the shadows. "Svea, the pictures?"

"Yes, of course!" she replied, pulling a Polaroid from her pocket. "Feliciano Vargas, is this your car?"

"Uh, yes."

"And check the date on the corner of the picture." Feliciano brought it closer, frowning as he looked up. "Were you at the school at the date and time the picture states?" He paled and Svea smirked.

"You… you…" Feliciano stuttered. "How?"

"How what?" Mathilde asked. "How did we figure it out? You were the elusive one. Your license plate wasn't on records, but, considering how you just turned sixteen… and you and your brother would need separate cars due to your separate activities…"

"Svea," Feliciano pleaded, turning towards Svea. She adjusted her glasses, frowning. "Listen, I'll tell you everything. Just, you can't tell anyone. _Especially_ Monika!"

"Are you serious?" Mathilde spat. "We've been taking the fall for you and Leon for months now! We could have our junior prom compromised… and you want us to not fucking rat you out? Give me one good reason!"

"Why would you even do this Feli?" Svea asked. "None of us has ever done anything to you. Hell, you and I were _friends_!"

"Listen, let me explain!"

"Go on," Svea replied, shooting Mathilde a dirty look as the shorter female opened her mouth to protest. "Explain. Regardless, we're not letting you off the hook. You fucked us over big time."

"Alfred, he's put us up to it… I mean, we said yes, and that doesn't change the fact we did what we did…" Feliciano looked down at his hands, humming quietly as he began to shake. "I don't know what he did for Leon, but for me, he came to me, asking me to do it. I said no. He offered money, but… I was friends with you and Monika's your best friend, and I hung out with Erikur and I had nothing against anyone else…

"So I still said no. I couldn't do that. But, he threatened Lovino, and I couldn't let him do what he threatened to do. Not to Lovi…" Feliciano's eyes began to water. "You have to understand, I did it to protect him. Lovi's life is finally at ease and he's happy and Alfred was going to ruin that!"

"Go fucking figure it was Jones," Mathilde snorted in response. "We had a hunch. We heard he was paying Raya Hristova to deactivate the cameras and security systems so that you guys could go do your little dirty work."

"That's true," Feliciano confirmed. "I can't speak for Leon, but… that's why you can't… nobody can know. If Alfred finds out I said anything to you, or even finds out you guys figured out what's going on… I can't…!"

Mathilde looked over at Svea and frowned. "What's the blackmail?" Svea asked. Feliciano shook his head, biting his lip. "Feli…"

"I can't say, it's not my place, but… you have to promise…"

"We can help you!" Mathilde suggested. "This is obviously a huge deal for you. We're not going to sit by and let Alfred keep fucking with us or bully you. Come on!"

"I said it's not my place." Feliciano looked up, turning to Mathilde. He scowled and she sighed, nodding. "I don't know what else you want from me."

"We want you to help clear our fucking names! Alfred can take the fall for this…"

Feliciano frowned. "I'm not… I can't. He'll do whatever he wants. And if I help you, then he's going to go after Lovino… and I won't allow that."

Feliciano pushed passed Svea and stormed out of the utilities closet. Mathilde blinked, her jaw hanging wide opened as Svea adjusted her glasses, utterly speechless at what had just happened.

 **x x x**

"Hey, have either of you seen Erikur recently?"

Timo waved lazily as Lukas shifted in the chair, quirking an eyebrow as Kiet approached their table. Lukas set the book down, looking at Timo as Timo shook his head. "Nah, not yet. Probably will at detention, though." Timo offered a smile, but Kiet frowned. "What?"

"Well, uh, it's just…"

His voice was quiet and he glanced around the library, taking a seat at the table with the two of them as the rest of the class did homework or chatted quietly. "Uh, well, I haven't… seen him… and he normally texts back but…"

"He's fine," Lukas insisted, rolling his eyes. "Why wouldn't he be?"

"Well, uh… it's just… I stopped by his place last night and…"

"Whose place did you stop by last night, freak?"

Timo's eyes narrowed as Alfred shifted his chair over, smirking as Lukas spun around, glaring at him. "Your boyfriend's? I feel sorry for the idiot who decided to date you. If I was him… well…"

Alfred chuckled as Lukas rolled his arms, knocking the chair over, sending Alfred tumbling out of it. "Can we help you, Jones?" Lukas grumbled. "We're busy."

"I actually wanted to talk to Tino."

"Timo."

"You're lucky I even got it somewhat right," Alfred collected himself, standing up and grabbing the chair, turning it to face the table. "Rumor has it you're the knight in shining armor for that little princess you hang around?"

"Svea?" Timo asked. Alfred rolled his eyes. "It's not your business what our relationship is, so I would back the fuck off, Alfred."

"Get lost," Lukas snapped. "You're just here to antagonize him and quite frankly, nobody wants to hear it…"

"So, if you two aren't dating, you wouldn't be mad to hear that she's been with countless of other boys in her own free time?"

Timo balled his fists. "You're full of shit, Alfred."

"Oh, you would think. But trust me, I know her pretty well. Very well, actually." His grin was dark and taunting. Kiet rolled his eyes and scoffed. "And you, Sripuy, watch yourself. I can ruin you."

"Go ahead, I only have like, two months left here."

Timo turned bright red. "Don't talk about Svea like that!" he shouted. The room turned to look at the table. Lukas huffed, opening his mouth to tell Alfred to leave, but Timo jumped in. "You're just pissed she's done with you and is sick of your shit! And I can see why."

"Why don't you go ask Francis? Or Sadik? Or would you like me to tell you all about her _extracurriculars_?"

"That's fucking it!"

Lukas was knocked over as Timo practically launched himself across the table. Kiet jumped up, reaching forward to grab Timo as Lukas stood up. The teacher gasped, running over as he also tried to intervene, but Timo was too busy putting his into strength into beating up Alfred.

"Enough, Timo!" the teacher shouted. Timo was yanked from Alfred, and he fumed, turning around and nailing the teacher right in the stomach. The man fell over and Kiet stepped between the too, slamming Timo against the table.

"Calm down!"

Timo inhaled sharply, closing his eyes. The room was dead silent as Lukas stepped beside Timo. "Shit, Ti…"

The teacher straightened himself up. "The office. _Now_."

 **x x x**

"Suspended?"

Lukas inhaled, cracking his knuckles as Svea fumed, slamming her fists into the table. "He went and punched a teacher, and now he's suspended. I think he was up for expulsion but his parents settled that…"

"What the hell set him off?" Mathilde asked. Lukas looked down, mumbling something that was almost inaudible. "English, Lu. Come the fuck on."

"Alfred was saying shit," Lukas groaned, rubbing his temples. "Timo was pissed by what Alfred was saying. I didn't catch all of it…" Lukas looked over at Svea, who frowned. "I was talking to Kiet when Alfred started in and eventually Timo got sick of it, I guess…"

Lukas was unsure about whether lying was a good idea. At least, in his opinion, it was better for Svea if she didn't hear what had been said, but it also had left a sour taste in his mouth, if what Alfred had said was true…

"Hey, wait," Mathilde interrupted. "Where's Eri?"

Mr. Willie entered the library as the three looked around. "Well, good afternoon," he greeted, smiling at the trio. "You three look confused. I suppose you're wondering about your friends…"

"We know about Timo," Lukas said, glaring at the vice-principal as he frowned. "We're wondering where Erikur is. Was he at school?"

"Uh, no," Mr. Willie said. "I received a call from his mother today. Said he was feeling sick and couldn't keep food down. So, he didn't come in today." Mathilde quirked an eyebrow as Svea nodded, biting her lip. "He may be in tomorrow, but she's not sure. Now, since we settled that…"

The man pulled up a chair, sitting down across from the three. "I wanted to talk to you. Now, I wanted to let you three know, that if, at any point, anyone has put you up to covering for them… you can tell me. You will not be held responsible. I understand that sometimes the threat of violence is scary…"

"What are you even implying?" shouted Mathilde. "Hold on, you think we're covering for Timo?" Mr. Willie said nothing. "What the fuck? No! That's so uncool! He's done nothing! We are the victims!"

"Language, or you'll be joining your friend in suspension."

"I agree with Mathilde," Svea interjected. "We have reason to believe that this whole thing is a set-up. Alfred Jones is paying people and framing us!" Mr. Willie began to laugh as Svea flushed in anger.

"Alfred Jones? Now, why would he do something like that?"

"We don't know," Lukas admitted, frowning.

"He's blackmailing Feliciano Vargas to vandalize the gym. He wouldn't tell us what or why, but he told us he was being blackmailed."

"Plus, he's enlisted Raya Hristova to turn off the cameras and security, and he has Leon Wang helping Feli!" Mathilde shouted. "We have the evidence! Leon and Feliciano's cars were here that night a few weeks ago, Raya even admitted it to some of Lukas' friends, and…"

"Eduard von Bock could've done it as well…" Mr. Willie sighed. "Everything you've told me has been circumstantial."

"Then all the evidence you have on Timo or us is also circumstantial!" Svea retorted. Mr. Willie frowned as he stood up.

"You can leave at four. We're done discussing this."


	32. Calm Before the Storm

alternatively titled: everyone manages to fuck SOMETHING up.

A guest asked who Raya was, and that is Fem!Bulgaria. It's rough because I hate (read: am actually lazy trash) posting names at the start of every section, but it can be confusing in an AU that mixes regular and nyo. It's rough.

The song used in the serenade section inspired by more 80s teen romcoms is called "Dust to Dust" by the Civil Wars. Great band, and yes, Kiet and Erikur are acoustic indie loving traaaash.

I'm posting this now because I'm procrastinating on Chapter 38 because uninspired / a bit of burnout from no sleep. I really want to get shit done, so pushing through.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Calm Before the Storm_

"So, about what happened today…"

Lukas was lying in Mathilde's bed as she reentered the room. Lukas glanced up, as she stretched, the long hockey jersey showing off a pair of black shorts with flowers printed on them. He flushed, shaking his head.

"About Timo?" she asked for clarification. Lukas nodded as she sat at the foot of her bed. "What's up?"

"Alfred kind of instigated it… saying that Svea was basically a whore… and that she sleeps around… even though she's kind of with Timo…" Lukas frowned. "And like, I don't know if it's true…"

"First, Timo and Svea aren't dating," Mathilde corrected. "So, if you're trying to make Svea seem like the bad guy, she's not. She's technically free to sleep with whoever she wants, if she even is…"

"But… they're kind of a thing?"

"They've yet to DTR," Mathilde insisted. "And besides, if it's true, then they've got to figure that out themselves. Timo shouldn't assume. And neither should we. Kind of like we shouldn't assume about other things…"

Lukas nodded as Mathilde opened the textbook and crossed her legs. "You mean about Erikur?"

"Kiet told me he saw Erikur and his mother argue and he was certain that woman was out for blood." Mathilde wrinkled her nose. "I don't think he's lying. I mean, I know he's an athlete, but some of his bruises…"

"They're not consistent, I agree." Lukas shrugged. "But he says it's fine…"

"Of course he would…" Mathilde scowled and Lukas shrugged again. "I don't know. Kiet said he talked to him for a few minutes on the phone and Ki said Eri said he really was sick. But… I don't know…"

"Yeah, I know." Lukas grabbed the remote and began to scroll through the episode list as he glanced at Mathilde. She looked so thoughtful. "So, what episode of _Cheers_ were we on again?"

 **x x x**

"Anger management? Again?" Timo shouted. "Mom, I swear, he was insulting Svea! I was defending her! I wouldn't have done it if…" His mom held up her hand as his father sighed. Timo snapped his mouth shut.

"Suspension, though? Timo, this is _serious_! You're a junior and this is not good if you want to do college! With all the school you miss and the fact you're not the best student… I feel anger management might help you."

"It's not…!"

"Don't argue with your mother, son."

Timo glared at his father, but said nothing. "You may not have started it, but you retaliated. Physically. Timo, this is what we keep talking about! You can't keep doing this shit! You're really putting a stress on us!"

"Sorry I'm a fucking burden!" Timo snapped. His mother glared.

"Right now you really are!"

"Honey," Timo's father warned. "Timo needs our support too… he may have made a mistake, but…"

"You're so lucky that boy wasn't badly injured! We're still paying for the last kid you sent to the hospital!" she screamed, ignoring her husband as Timo rolled his eyes. "I can't fucking believe this…"

The doorbell rang and his mother slammed her towel down onto the counter. "Go get the damn door, Timo!"

Timo groaned and left the kitchen, his mother starting an argument with his father as he made his way towards the front door. He flung it open, freezing as Svea stood before him, a cautious smile on her face.

"Mathilde, uh, gave me your address."

"Don't you have work?" Svea shook her head. "Oh, that's tomorrow." She nodded.

"So, are you going to let me in?"

"Yeah, sure…"

Timo stepped aside as Svea entered the house. She glanced around before turning back to him to smile. His mother screamed in annoyance and she flinched. "Sorry, she's uh… she's not very happy…"

"What happened?"

Timo gulped. "Alfred was being rude. And uh, well…" He bit his lip. "I just lost my cool."

"Was it about me?"

"He's pissed I'm taking you to prom, is all." Svea hummed and sat down on the small sofa. Timo sat down next to her and forced a smile. "It doesn't matter, you made your choice. Hope you don't regret it."

"Not really, no," she mumbled, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Willie thinks you're responsible and that you're threatening to keep us quiet."

"I know, Eduard told me he got interrogated earlier…" Timo crossed his arms. "It doesn't matter. I know the truth, you know the truth… and we'll be fine. We're getting to the bottom of it… kind of."

Svea nodded as he sat down next to her. "Thanks, for, uh, defending me," Svea said, leaning in to press a kiss against Timo's cheek. Timo flushed as Svea smiled. "You really didn't have to do that."

"It's not fair to you that he was sitting there saying such untrue things about you and you weren't there to defend yourself." Svea frowned as Timo smiled, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. She glanced down at her hand and smiled.

"Well, you still didn't need to…"

"I wanted to."

Svea inhaled sharply and wondered when the room seemed to get really hot and the space between them was so little that they were practically glued to each other. Timo seemed to be leaning in and she froze, instinctively leaning towards him.

"Who's this, Big Bro?"

Svea jumped to her feet as the voice called from behind the sofa. Timo growled. "Venla! Don't scare me like that!" He looked over at Svea, mouthing _sorry_ before turning his attention back to his sister. Venla smirked, glancing at Svea, who was taken aback by the strawberry blonde's mischievous glance.

"Who's your friend?" she asked again.

"This is Svea, my prom date," Timo said. "Now, can you get lost, squirt?"

"Is she your _girlfriend_?" Venla snickered. "Huh?"

"My prom date, now, if you don't mind…!"

"Actually, uh," Svea mumbled, glancing at the door. "I told my dad I would make him dinner tonight. I should uh…"

"Oh, yeah, uh, here, let me just… I'll see you to the door."

Venla chuckled, earning a murderous glance from her brother as Timo stood up, walking over to Svea. He placed his hand on the small of her back as they took the few steps towards the front door. "I'll, uh…"

"See you tomorrow."

Svea stepped out and Timo closed the door. Her phone vibrated, with two messages from Anya, three from Alfred, and one from Francis…

 _you busy tonight? dtf?_

Svea held her breath.

 **x x x**

"No, no, so, I think what Shakespeare was trying to say in this scene… hey, can you get your ass out of the shitty footnotes and listen to _me_ , Nichi?"

" _The footnotes are not shitty."_

"It's _No Fear Shakespeare_!" Erikur shouted. He rubbed his temples as he heard the faint sound of music playing in the background. Erikur glanced at his laptop, realizing his music streaming application was closed. "Nichi, are you playing something?"

" _No, I'm trying to tell you what Puck meant in this scene and you're being an asshole!"_

"Nichita Costin, I swear on _everything_ …" Erikur huffed. He blinked, looking around his room as the music continued. "I think the neighbors are playing the music loud… my parents aren't home…"

Erikur stood up, walking over to his window as he opened the blinds and smirked. He opened the window and waved as Kiet flushed, the small boom box playing an alternative song that Erikur couldn't recognize, due to his limited music choice.

"Uh, Nichi… I'll call you back."

Erikur hung up his phone and tossed it on his bed, leaning out the window as he smirked. Kiet grinned as he turned the music down as the female singer crooned over the harmonies of the male counterpart.

 _let me in the walls you've built around  
we can light a match and burn them down…_

"Normal people would call the cops due to a noise complaint and trespassing." Erikur smirked and crossed his arms. "This isn't an 80s teen romcom, Ki. Also, I told you…"

"Hey, are you gonna criticize me or let me in?"

Erikur motioned for the window and Kiet turned off the boom box, unplugging his phone as he made his way to the window. He climbed in and Erikur sighed. "What's with this sudden display of affection?"

"Your room is pretty dim… but anyway… go to prom with me."

"Uh, what?" Erikur spat. Kiet frowned. "Prom? Kiet, really, that's, uh…"

"That's what?" he frowned. "Erikur, you're looking a bit woozy… are you good?"

Erikur spaced off, shaking his head as he sat down. Kiet frowned. "Your eyes are pretty glossy… sit down, please? You're worrying me." Erikur sat on the edge of his bed as he frowned. "Eri…"

"I can't go to prom with you."

"Why not?"

"Because I… I'm not ready… Leon, he freaked out and…" Kiet frowned and Erikur pouted. "It's just been a lot of anxiety…"

"Is that why you skipped today?"

"No, I needed a day off for my concussion, since I was still puking today…"

"Concussion?"

Erikur looked away. "I just slipped getting out of the shower last night and caught my head on the side of the tub. Nothing serious." Kiet rolled his eyes.

"I don't believe you… on all accounts, really." Kiet wrinkled his nose. "So _what_ if Leon lost his shit? So what? You and I have been happy and it would be really cool if I could take my boyfriend to prom. I thought you would've wanted to go too…"

"You're being really unfair to me," Erikur huffed. "I'm not _out_ , Kiet. Sorry that the fact your boyfriend is terrified to lose his friends and family because of that, but I think you're being really unfair to me asking me to put everything in jeopardy for something as trivial as prom."

"Yeah, my senior prom. With my boyfriend."

"Well, then maybe we shouldn't be boyfriends then, yeah?" Erikur snapped. He flinched at his own words as Kiet gapped. "I… sorry, that was out of line…"

"No, it's a valid point." Kiet adjusted his glasses. "It isn't fair of me to ask you to come out for me, and it's not logical for me to want these kind of things, especially since I'll be leaving at the end of summer."

"What does that mean?" Erikur snapped.

"What do you think?" Kiet deadpanned. "Listen, I get it, you don't want to go. Fine. Whatever. I'll ask Mathilde or _something_." Kiet rolled his eyes as he made his way back to the window.

"I didn't mean to be an asshole!" Erikur said. "I meant that I do _like_ you, but…"

Kiet glared at him and Erikur knew that he could not say anything that would make Kiet change his mind. "See you tomorrow?"

"We'll see."


	33. Breakdown

happy holidaze, y'all. thank you everyone again for support. i'm finally getting over that trouble spot in 38, woo, i guess.

i don't remember if i clarified that timo was suspended for 2-3 days but he was. lmao because bad timelining. I want you to know that I never really had a solid outline on my part (HUGE MISTAKE) up until the last chapters (BIG MISTAKE), so it was just weird. That's probably WHY this is so damn long.

Luckily, my next projects are outlined (well one _isn't_ , but that's because it's a parody of something, so I'm gonna need to review the source material).

another long ass authoress note. byyyeeeeeee.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Breakdown_

"You guys broke up?"

Mathilde looked over as Erikur shrugged. "Not sure… it's just… I didn't want to go to prom with him. I just…"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not out and I'm not putting my life in danger…!"

"In danger?" Erikur frowned. Mathilde crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the floor of the car. "In danger?" she repeated. "Sure, your friends are a bit homophobic at worst, but I mean, look at those who are out. Manuel and Afonso… they announced they're going together, and nobody said a word…"

Mathilde narrowed her eyes. "Or is it because he's _unpopular_."

"No, it's not, it's just…"

"Is this about your parents?" Mathilde watched Erikur freeze. She smirked. "Bingo. So, tell me, how many years have you used the excuse of sports practice or burning your hand on the stove, or just accidentally cutting yourself with a knife while cooking?"

"You don't know anything, Mathilde," Erikur spat.

"I'm not _stupid_!" Mathilde shouted. "I know what abuse looks like, and everyone else may be fooled or not care, but I'm not one who gets the wool pulled over their eyes so quick…"

She paused, adding, "Plus, Kiet was worried sick about you. We're not all going to turn a blind eye."

"Well, he's got no reason to worry now."

"You're being unfair."

"You're being invasive." Erikur opened the door to the car. "Thanks for the ride, but I'm over this conversation, and I'm over you thinking you know _everything_ , Mathilde. All I know is I have other shit to worry about, and yet, you choose to attack my life…"

"It's not attacking!" Mathilde protested. "Piece of shit… you're selfish, you know? Selfish and stupid?" Erikur frowned.

"I know, Mathilde. I fucking know."

 **x x x**

"Hey, Lovino," Lukas greeted, sitting next to the auburn haired male as he smiled. "Long time no talk."

"We never really talk," Lovino said, quirking a brow as Lukas shrugged. "Well, not since you stopped hanging out with your friends, anyway. Care to explain what's up with that?"

"A lot, too long, too stupid." Lukas waved it off. "Hey, question… how's Feli?"

"Why? Did Svea say that bitch of a girlfriend did something to him?"

Lovino's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. Lukas blinked, shaking his head. He envied the fact that the Vargas boys both had such a great relationship, and he heard their family was just lovely. He wished he had that.

"No, just… is he being secretive? Like, doing weird things? Hiding stuff? Avoiding answering questions with direct answers?"

"He slept with that monster, didn't he?"

"I, uh, I wouldn't know." Lukas shrugged. "But, uh… listen, I guess there's no way to say it… or easy way… but Alfred's blackmailing Feliciano…" Lovino's eyes darkened and Lukas inhaled. "He told Svea and Mathilde it's something with you and…"

"What did Feli tell them?"

"That he was doing what he had to do to protect you, and he wasn't backing out…" Lukas wondered exactly how much Lovino knew. "And well, we have reason to believe that Alfred is blackmailing him into vandalizing the gym and blaming us…"

"Well, why would Alfred want to blame you?"

"I don't know if it's us as a group or one of us, and well, we don't know for sure if Alfred has a motive…"

"So how do you know?"

"Because Feli said so!"

Lovino frowned. "So, essentially, I could get Feli expelled…"

"No, Alfred will, don't act like whatever Feli's doing to protect you is your fault."

Lukas rolled his eyes. He honestly decided at this rate it would solve all his issues to transfer schools. Lovino inhaled sharply, "Are you LGBTQIA friendly?"

Lukas inhaled. "Alfred's going to out you? That's really shitty. I know he's an ass, but I'm surprised he cares so much, since some of his friends are…"

"No, it's not that I'm gay… I'm straight…"

"Okay, so… why…"

"What do you know about transgendered people?"

Lukas blinked. "Oh… _oh_! Uh, not much. I kind of just know a few things from Mathilde's books she has on the topic and uh, well…"

"Well, there you go. That's the big secret, and that's the reason my family moved here…" Lovino shrugged. "My old school wasn't as accepting, so my family wanted me to start over and come to a school that was more diverse, more accepting, but it's still hard…"

"I mean, uh, I've never really known much about this prior to uh, this year… but, uh, it sucks that you feel like people are judging you because of that…"

Lovino wrinkled his nose. "Uh, thanks for not… freaking out."

"Does anyone here know?"

"Uh, Antonio does… and Feliks… which is a surprise, but Feliks will shut his mouth when he needs too… and you now, I guess… oh and I guess Alfred." Lovino inhaled sharply. "But it sucks… that Feli's being put up to something stupid and that… well, you guys are being blamed… anything I can do to help?"

"Nothing that I can think of."

Lovino nodded, biting his lip as Lukas stood up.

 **x x x**

"Hey, I have something to tell you guys…"

Erikur sat next to Nichita as everyone turned to face him. Nichelle frowned as Leon narrowed his eyes. "I, uh, so I know I've been pretty like… secretive about my last relationship… and uh…"

"Are you officially coming out to us?" Elise piped up. Erikur blinked. "Uh, Leon… he…"

"So I guess he fucking did." Erikur narrowed his eyes. "And let me guess, he said I was dating some piece of trash person? Even though Leon never gave him a chance?"

The group stayed quiet, when Nichelle clapped her hands together. "Erikur, I support you _and_ if you're happy dating Kiet, then I'm happy for you." Nichelle smiled and Erikur nodded, still glaring at Leon as he frowned.

"You're not serious, right Ni?" Leon protested. "First, he's a loser… second… it seems a bit predatory he would want to date a sophomore…"

"Erikur's right, Leon," Elise spoke up. She offered a shy smile at Erikur, who felt a bit of guilt for his prior treatment of Elise. "You don't know him. None of us do. He could be really nice, and really, Erikur was really happy with him."

"Yeah! We should invite him on one of our group outings, since everyone else seems to be coupling up!" Nichita exclaimed. "Then we can judge. I've met him once, and well, he was alright, but I was pretty drunk…" He snorted.

"Camille really likes him," Elise added. "She hangs out with Jake and his friends. So… we should be fair to him and give him a chance…"

Erikur sighed and the group turned to him. "Uh, well, we kind of… had a falling out… so we might not be together…"

"What? Before we could even scare him off!" Nichelle shouted. "Unfair!"

"What happened?"

"…nothing," Erikur muttered as Leon's eyes narrowed.

"I told you so."

"Leon, knock it off!" Mei shouted, slapping her boyfriend's arm. "You know, it's a wonder that Erikur still is speaking to you. All you did was insult him and his ex, and you talked about this like it was a bad thing…"

"Well, excuse me for trying to look out for my friend. He was no good, trailer trash…"

"You know what Kiet never did to me?" Erikur sneered. "Go behind my back and lie to my face. And he would never betray me, unlike _some_ people, right Leon?" Leon's face bunched up as the group look between the two.

"What does that mean?"

"Why would you meet with Alfred the night you saw us on a date, huh?" Erikur snapped. Leon stood up.

"I don't have to listen to this."

"If you would be honest with me as to why you're working with Alfred…"

"I'm leaving."

Mei stood up as Leon stormed out of the lunchroom, frowning. "Jesus… I, uh… I'll get him." She ran after him as Nichelle and Elise frowned. Nichita slung an arm around Erikur, shaking his head.

"What's up?" he asked. "What was that about?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" Erikur sighed, looking down at his tray.

 **x x x**

"Hmm, is this the little man that's in Svea's life?"

Timo blinked as he opened the door, Alfred and Francis standing before him as they smirked. "Oh, great. Even when I'm suspended, I'm still tormented to this bullshit. Get lost, Jones…" Timo tried to slam the door, but Francis stepped in.

"Oh, Timo, I'm so sorry… I didn't know Svea was your prom date…"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean," Francis hummed in thought. "If I had known, I wouldn't have slept with her last night…"

Timo's blood ran cold, a quick change from the anger that made it boil only moments earlier. "Excuse me?"

Francis pulled out his phone, handing it over to Timo. "You see, Svea's been… one of the _many_ ladies I keep around… and well, you see, Alfred here also had a thing with her earlier…"

"I'm just looking out for you man," Alfred said. "Listen, Svea… she's only into two things: money and popularity.

Timo rolled his eyes, but glanced back down at the phone in his hands, scrolling through the messages that clearly laid out the fact Svea _had_ been with Francis recently, even yesterday. He inhaled. "No, that's not Svea."

"Look, you can believe what you want… but she's… she's got her own interest, and really, she's only with you to make me jealous." Alfred rolled his eyes. "Think about it."

Timo frowned, slamming the door in their faces as he turned his back, groaning as he made his way back to the sofa. He collapsed, crossing his arms as he bit his lip, thinking about the explicit texts that he had saw, the fact that Svea even _sent_ those…

"There's… no, she's not…"

Timo gnawed the dry skin from his lip. But Alfred may have had a point, money and popularity kept Svea in the loop. It helped provide her family, so what exactly did he have that she could want?

Except a chance to make someone jealous, that's for sure. Timo curled up on his side, sighing loudly.

Could Svea still really be that shallow?


	34. Fallout

thanks everyone for support as usual. delayed in posting because holidaze kept me from the laptop.

a lot of drama happens a lot in this chapter here ig.

I'll be on vacation from tomorrow until Wednesday, so no updates tomorrow or Tuesday (because at this point I'm trying to update daily), but I'll be working and writing (and Netflixing) what's left to come. I'm, once again, struggling on a part in chapter 39, and ironically, it's another Svea scene (my problem spot in 38 was also Svea related).

pray for my liver, friends, 42 oz. margaritas are calling my name.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects  
** _Fallout_

"And so, I just wanted you to know…" Lovino's voice echoed over the school intercom. "That I am still Lovino Vargas, and that if you would care to donate even a dollar to the local LGBTQIA Resource Center, which the donations will go to mental health resources for homosexual and transgendered teens alike… because really, nobody should feel threatened and intimidated and I'm not taking that sh- crap from anyone."

Erikur's head snapped back to Lukas and Svea, who lingered by the table as Lukas began to violently cough, spilling his sports drink all over the table. Svea blinked, looking over at Lukas as hit his chest aggressively. "Lu?" she asked, because, to be fair, the kid was weird, and showed shock in weird ways.

"Holy shit, I didn't think he would…"

"You knew?" Erikur asked, his eyes widened as Lukas shrugged.

"We talked yesterday…" Lukas winced as his throat burned. "I uh, I told him what had happened… and what was happening with Feliciano. I figured he had a right to know, and if he knows, maybe this can help Feliciano go to our side, and we can get out of this soon…"

"Timo comes back tomorrow, too. I'm sure if we can get Feliciano on our side, we can definitely convince Willie that Timo isn't the mastermind he thinks he is." Svea smiled as Lukas nodded. Erikur hummed, his eyes glancing around the lunchroom as Feliciano moved quickly towards them.

"Oh, here he comes…"

The three watched as Feliciano stormed over to the table, his face red and his eyes narrowed as the saw the three pairs of eyes on him. "Oh, he looks mad…"

When Feliciano reached them, he put his hands on the table – or more accurately, _slammed_ them on the table. "Why would you convince him to come out?" he sputtered, glaring at Lukas. "Why? I was trying to protect him, and now…"

"Hey, it's not Lu's fault," Erikur interjected. "Lovino is old enough to make his own decisions. He has his friends who will help him, and I know that Antonio and his girlfriend won't allow anyone to insult him…"

"But you…!"

"Feli, calm down!" Svea commanded. Feliciano backed up a bit, looking at Svea as if he wished to challenge her, but wouldn't out of fear. Lukas and Erikur exchanged a look, surprised by how she was able to calm him down so fast. "Lovi made the decision. He obviously feels comfortable with the decision made, or else he wouldn't have done so. Lukas didn't make him. Nobody _made_ him…"

"No, you guilt tripped him!" Feliciano replied.

Lukas scowled, saying, "Yeah, well, to be fair, he wouldn't have been happy had we just revealed in a grand exposure party you're an easily manipulated sheep who has been vandalizing the gym…"

"Oh, well, I guess this is great! Alfred has nothing to hold over my head, so you can go right ahead and rat me out!" Felicano shouted.

Svea frowned. "We're trying to help _you_ , Feli. Nobody is trying to rat you out or ruin your life…"

Feli rolled his eyes. "Well, you sure are doing a _great_ job of confirming that."

Balling her fists, Svea opened her mouth, but shut it as Erikur frowned. "You know what you did was wrong, but what Alfred is doing is fucked up and harmful. You have two options: help us, or get fucked over by Alfred in the end…"

Feliciano scoffed, turning his back to the group. He walked away as Lukas bit his lip. The three stayed quiet, exchanging nervous glances as the lunch bell rang.

 **x x x**

"Timo!"

Svea smiled as she ran up to her car. Timo frowned and uncrossed his legs, sliding off from the trunk of her car. Svea paused, slowly taking cautious steps towards him. He looked unfriendly. "Hey, uh… excited to be back tomorrow?"

"Oh, I'm sure you're not as excited as I am." Timo sneered. "Besides, I'm sure you've been busy entertaining all the different boys…"

Svea's jaw dropped, stepping back a bit. "E-excuse me?"

"So, tell me, _Princess_ ," he spat. "I know we were never an item – never 'official' or anything, but when were you planning on telling me you were sleeping with Alfred this whole time? And that you also had little flings with Francis?"

Svea paled, her heart accelerating in her chest. She gripped the strap of her backpack, looking away. "Well, if we weren't an item…"

"But you wanted it, and you had to have some inkling…"

"I mean if you don't tell me…" Svea frowned. "I'm not a mind reader…"

"I love how you're at least honest. Even if you're still trying to defend your shitty actions." Timo balled his fists, backing up against the car as Svea stepped back. They both were trying to put enough room between them, and Timo had an inkling as to why.

"I'm… you don't even know the truth!" Svea shouted. Timo snickered, shaking his head.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot how possible it was to trip and fall on someone's dick." Timo crossed his arms. "Were you ever going to tell me about them? About Sadik? About…"

"I told you I wasn't a virgin."

Timo snarled, "Yeah, but I didn't think you were a promiscuous tramp." Svea's eyes narrowed. "I forget, I wasn't good enough for you to touch, so you had to get off with the rich and popular boys…"

"That's not fair, Timo!"

"Yeah, well neither is what you did to me!" Timo shouted. "Fuck you, Svea." Svea stepped closer and shoved him against the car as hard as she could. "Get your hands off of me!"

"You have to listen to me!"

"No! I'm done with your shit. Go on. Run off and fall into the arms of prince fucking charming. Go to prom with him. Go help him fuck us over even more, like I bet you've been doing this whole time!"

Timo slid away from Svea, spitting on the ground near her foot as she flushed bright red. "If you would just…!"

"Just what? Act like it's okay? No, fuck you Svea. I'm not doing this. This was a bad idea. You and I? We are a bad idea. It was stupid of me to think that I could even think I could fall in love with someone as selfish, conceited, and bratty like you!"

Svea froze as Timo spat again. "Ti…"

"Fuck off, Princess."

Timo stormed off as Svea's eyes widened. From behind her, a gentle hand fell on her shoulder and she jumped. Turning around, she inhaled sharply, meeting Erikur's sympathetic gaze as she sniffled, wrapping her arms around his neck as she began to sob into his shirt.

 **x x x**

"This is a bad idea." Kiet looked over the lid of his cup at Mathilde as Mathilde continued to glare at the two females sitting across the coffee shop. The black haired female laughed at something the brown haired girl said. "Mathilde, just… leave it."

"No, they need to know how harmful they are to him."

"Why does it matter? He's happier now." Kiet grumbled to himself as Mathilde slid her chair back, the legs scrapping against the floor. "Thilde," he warned.

"No, fuck this. I'm giving Raya Hristova and Indre Laurinaitė a piece of my fucking mind."

Kiet shook his head as Mathilde stood up, walking over to the table as the girls continued to talk about an assignment. She placed her hands on her hips, clearing her throat loudly as Raya and Indre turned to her. Raya rolled her eyes as Indre gasped, her pencil slipping from her hand.

"Oh, joy, it's the tramp."

"Funny," Mathilde sneered. "I think it's really cute how you can be incredibly harmful and toxic to a friend, but I'm the bad guy apparently…"

Indre flushed, looking away as she sighed. "What do you want, Mathilde? Come to try and ruin our lives too?"

Mathilde huffed, tapping her foot impatiently as Raya flicked her wrist. "I cannot believe you both. Lukas is your friend. He was always there for you, and yet, here you out, shutting him out!"

"Well, maybe if someone wasn't so involved…" Indre sighed as Raya spoke. "Really, you think we wanted to? He made his choice as to who his friends were – terrible teens who drink too much and will probably cost him that stupid scholarship he doesn't deserve!"

"Raya…" Indre frowned. "It's not like we wanted to shut him out, but… he seemed to be heavily favoring _you_ …" Indre scoffed. "Which is a mistake all on its own."

"Yeah, too much so…" Raya snorted. "Like you were ever good for him."

"Or good enough," Indre mumbled. Mathilde swallowed the lump in her throat as Indre looked her over, examining her from head to toe. "Honestly, this boy was Ivy League material, and he's going to throw it away _on you_."

"Hey, instead of being catty as hell," Kiet spoke, appearing behind Mathilde as he took her hand. "Maybe look at yourselves. Nobody likes a bunch of bitter hags." Kiet stuck out his tongue as Raya sputtered and Indre gaped. "Come on, Thilde, I get the feeling that this place is _definitely_ home to the freaks and geeks who think they're better than everyone…"

Kiet dragged her outside, huffing as they reached her car. "You're stupid. What good was that going to do?" he asked. "Talk sense and maybe they'd accept you and your relationship with Lukas?"

"W-what relationship?"

Kiet sent an _you have got to be shitting me_ look towards Mathilde as she flushed. "You shouldn't meddle when you have no need. Everything is fine now. Let it be. If they don't accept you, then Lukas will decide what that means… and it sounds like it doesn't mean jack shit to him, so…"

"This isn't about me! It's about self-worth!" Mathilde snapped back. "And don't you lecture me, when you can't even keep a sturdy boyfriend, Kiettisuk!"

Kiet frowned as he looked down. Mathilde sighed. "Sorry."

"No, you're not the one I need to hear it from…" Kiet inhaled sharply. "Sorry."

 **x x x**

"Kiet!"

Kiet sighed loudly as he removed his tie, tossing it over onto the chair as he walked into the living room. His mother grinned, waving him in as his eyes drifted to the other side of the sofa, where Erikur sat with a cup of tea in his hands. He frowned. "Uh, I'm tired."

"Kiet, don't be so rude!" his mother snapped. "I was enjoying a conversation with your boyfriend here. He's so nice. I can't believe I never sat down with him and…"

"We're not…" Kiet tried to interrupt.

"This tea is really good, Miss Sripuy!" Erikur interjected, cutting off Kiet before he could finish. Kiet's mother laughed.

"I swear, if you don't call me Kat, I'll never make you another cup! What is it with you kids refusing to call me by my name?"

"Katreeya," Kiet grumbled, looking anywhere but at Erikur. She frowned. "I'm _really_ tired. I had a hell of a day at work… and I really just want to get some sleep, so, I'm sorry if this seems rude, but…"

"But I _really_ need to talk to you, Kiet." Erikur frowned as Kiet shook his head. Kat frowned and crossed her arms. "Please? I'll make it fast."

"Mom," Kiet groaned. Kat stood up, humming to herself as she collected her own cup of tea.

"I'm going to hop in the bath. Have fun, and if you're having sex… not on my sofa, but be safe!" Kat giggled as she quickly scampered off. Kiet shook his head and sat down in the armchair across from the sofa. Erikur smiled, still red from Kat's comment, looking at Kiet as the older male rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, yes, I forgot. I need to let you apologize and then I have to fawn all over you and forgive you and suck your dick, then we can live happily ever after. In a closet." Kiet waved him off. "Been there, done that. I'm too old to make these mistakes."

"I really care about you," Erikur mumbled, still looking at Kiet as the older teen was determined to look anywhere but at him. "Kiet, I mean it. I've been pining after you for so long… and we weren't fair to each other."

"Okay, so…"

Kiet watched as Erikur shifted. "I mean, I want to be with you. And I'm not giving up on you. I shouldn't have been a dick, but… I just you have to trust me when I say I need to time to figure this out?"

"Figure what out? You're _gay_ and you like me. What's there to figure out?"

"I need to figure out how to come out…" Kiet sighed as Erikur spoke. "And it would mean the world to me if you were by my side the moment I did. I can't promise it'll be today or tomorrow or in a month or never, but…"

"I want to be there too, but Eri, I think we're not…" Kiet bounced his foot as Erikur's eyes narrowed. Kiet bit his lip, before adding, "Eri, you know it's rough. I'm ready to be myself. I'm out, and in a few months, I'm going off to the university and you'll be here and really… we're uh…"

"I'd be willing to try if you want to."

"I just need time to think, okay?" Kiet finally said. Erikur sighed. "And I think you do too."

Erikur stood up and forced a smile. "Yeah, no… that's fair…"

 **x x x**

"Mind telling me who the fuck you think you are?"

Mathilde snorted as Lukas threw a pillow at her. "Feliks texted me. _Feliks_ , Mathilde! Said you got nasty with Indre and Raya in the coffee shop downtown!" Lukas snapped. Mathilde tapped her chin.

"So, Dre and Feliks… they're an item, then?" Mathilde said in an attempted to change the subject. "That's good…"

"That," Lukas shouted, "is so not the point! The point is you stuck your nose where it doesn't belong–!"

"Because you're my friend!" Mathilde responded. "And you know, it's really cute how you can stand up for me but when I try to do it for you…"

"Nobody was giving me shit, Mathilde," Lukas hissed. "That's the difference. We were going our own ways. Nobody came up and called me a 'slut' or tried to tell me how terrible I was…"

"No, not to your face," Mathilde grumbled, crossing her arms. "You just have this fucking God complex. Where you think you need to help everyone and save everyone but then you won't let anyone in to help…"

Lukas threw a pillow at Mathilde with more force than was necessary. Mathilde flinched as Lukas narrowed his eyes. "You didn't need to go sticking your nose into my business!"

"But you make it a big deal when Jan insults me, and you even stand up for me. How is this any different?"

Lukas scowled, replying, "I was _there_ , and he wasn't going to let up. I did it to shut him up, and he was being ruthless!" Mathilde rolled her eyes as Lukas shook his head.

"So, it's not okay if I try to help you?"

"It's not okay to not mind your own fucking business."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Mathilde shouted. "They sat there and they told me how we shouldn't be friends. They said you don't deserve any scholarships. I tried to defend you to them. Why do you want to protect them?"

"Because they weren't doing anything except enjoying their coffee in the same place you were, Mathilde!" Lukas answered. He was annoyed and this was growing on his nerves. "You know, fuck you, Mathilde. You try to get involved in everyone's business and you end up making it twenty times worse! I can only _imagine_ what kind of hell you'd cause Erikur…"

"Or I could, you know, be helping him," she grumbled.

"You know, maybe they were right. Maybe you _aren't_ good for me…"

Lukas looked away, trying not to let it show how he really didn't believe it. Mathilde frowned as Lukas stood up and began to pace, ignoring her glare. "What the hell is your problem? I tried to help. And you know why? Because this was bothering you! It wasn't fair to sit here and watch you have a shame spiral internally every time your old friends said something to or about you. All I've been is nice and friendly and helpful!" she shouted. Lukas frowned.

"I had it under control!" he retorted.

"You mean by drinking your problems away?" Mathilde sneered. Lukas froze, his eyes narrowing as she leaned back. "Yeah, you were _totally_ in control." Lukas stormed over, grabbing his bag as Mathilde frowned.

"Don't fucking talk to me again, Mathilde!" Lukas screamed. As he stormed out, Rosie appeared in Mathilde's doorway, as Mathilde called out and tried to chase after him. Rosie stuck out her arm, cutting off Mathilde as the front door slammed.

"He needs space. Leave it."

"No!" she protested as Rosie grabbed her shoulders, forcing her back into her room. "Let me go, Rosie!"

" _M'ija_ , calm your body." Rosie pulled Mathilde into a hug as Mathilde stopped struggling, sniffling quietly as she buried her face into Rosie's chest. "It's okay, Thilde. You'll be fine. Just calm down and make it right tomorrow…"

Mathilde nodded. "O-okay, you're right. We n-need…" She sniffled and Rosie reached for a tissue box, handing it to her as she bit her lip and wiped her nose. "I need t-time…"


	35. The Big Reveal

may or may not have been a biiiiiiiiit too hungover to post yesterday. I drank a lot on vacation.

can u believe that there's like 10 more chapters i can't.

i feel like I have nOTHING to say. This chapter was one of two that got cut in half because of length and pacing issues.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _The Big Reveal_

"Hey, Lu…"

Lukas chuckled darkly as he glanced up at Mathilde, tossing the match into the nearby dumpster as she frowned. "Oh, well, look who it is." He snickered and flicked the cigarette in his left hand and brought it up, letting it rest between his lips.

"Didn't know you smoke."

Lukas shrugged. "Stress." Mathilde sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Listen, I get it. You're here to talk to me, and well…"

"Yeah, I'm here to say…" she tried to explain.

"I'm not interested." Lukas shook his head, waving his hand at her. "Whatever you have to say, save it. You know, I opened up to you because you seemed _nice_. You seemed like you wouldn't judge me at all and on one hand, I trusted you. And then you go and say shit like _that_ …"

"But you still can trust me!" Mathilde shouted. "Lukas, I do care! I was out of line and that was really low of me. I don't wanna lose your friendship." Lukas snorted, giving her a weak smile that looked like it hurt just to force it onto his face.

"Save it, Mathilde," Lukas hissed. "I don't want to."

Mathilde's heart stopped as he reached up, flicking the cigarette as he narrowed his eyes. She opened her mouth, but he shook his head and tossed the cigarette near her foot, standing up. "Look, remember when we always talked about what would happen _after_ detention?"

"Yeah, and I made it _very_ clear…" she tried to speak, but Lukas shot her an icy look.

"And I'm telling you whatever we talked about, whatever hopes or dreams our group had… it's not happening." Lukas frowned. "We can't be friends."

"I think that you're…"

Lukas shot her another glare that silenced her. "We're not good together." Mathilde blinked and Lukas smirked. "And quite frankly, it was a stupid little dream we both had that we could even be friends."

"You're not making any sense…" Mathilde said, shaking slightly. "Lukas, how are we not good together?" Lukas inhaled, because he knew this was a dumb reason. This was his attempt to shut her out, keep her at bay. He was mad, but he also had to remember why he was doing this. It wasn't fair to her. Lukas had fallen hard, but hearing her say what she said to him last night made him realize he was less angry and more so _scared_ that he would hurt her. He didn't deal with his issues properly. He had a temper, and he was _terrified_ and she was too good and perfect and…

 _She's not good enough for you._

"It's a coincidence the more time we spend together the more inclined I am to…"

"You're blaming _me_ for your relapse?" Mathilde spat. "Lukas, if I didn't know any better…"

"We just… we're not friends anymore. We're not good for each other… and quite frankly, I don't think I could date a stupid, spoiled, entitled brat who likes to act like being poor, white trash is _so_ cool!"

Mathilde blinked and Lukas' eyes widened. The words he said hit him. That wasn't something he even believed was true – and he knew why Mathilde acted the way she did. Lukas inhaled sharply.

He wasn't good enough. He never had been, and he couldn't wait on Mathilde to get over Jan.

"You mean it?"

"Mathilde… I…"

Mathilde turned and stormed off as Lukas' blood began to boil. He didn't know who to be mad at – himself, Mathilde, his old friends – but he was pissed at the world. He sat back down on the back step, his hands shaking as he grabbed a carton and a set of matches from the front pocket of his bag, bringing a cigarette to his lips with his shaky hands.

 **x x x**

"Mathilde!"

Svea slammed the door to the bathroom stall open after checking to make sure the whole bathroom was empty. Svea glared as Mathilde looked up, her eyes swollen and red from crying. "You left in the middle of class, Thilde. What's wrong?" Mathilde shook her head as Svea frowned, kneeling down in front of her.

"Nothing, just leave me alone. Besides, it's not like you'll even talk to me after–!" Her breathing picked up and she began to gasp, tears streaming down your face. Svea was shocked, because she had never known Mathilde to be one to cry. She may pick a fight out of frustration, but _crying_?

"What the hell happened?" Svea demanded.

"Lukas, he…"

Mathilde began to sputter and stumble over her words. "I t-t-told him that… I mean I t-talked to his old friends… and he got mad and then I went to s-say ss-sorry and…" She reached over to grab toiler paper, bringing it to her running nose as she let out a sob. Svea's heart was absolutely breaking.

"I know, it sucks."

Placing a gentle hand on her knee, Svea sighed loudly as Mathilde tried to steady herself. "Mathilde, I need to tell you something… and you promise you won't get mad?"

Mathilde nodded. "I know how you feel. Timo… he found out that since well before we became friends, so to speak, I… well, I had been sleeping with Alfred… and Francis… and Sadik… and Antonio… and just a _ton_ of people, more or less." Svea looked away, afraid to see how Mathilde would react. "It hurts because I cared about him…"

"Why are you still sleeping with _Alfred_?" Mathilde asked. "That's way more problematic than what I'm going through." Svea doubted that it was less problematic, especially if she had to leave class.

"I'm not… I just…" Svea stumbled over her words. "Mathilde, I… my dad and I, it's been just us. We've never had much but my dad wanted me to be happy. He wanted to spoil me, make sure I was happy…"

She made a face and Mathilde wiped her nose again. "I hate it. Sure, I wasn't a super popular child and wanted friends, but like… I knew that people had expectations and my clothes were hand-me-downs or from thrift stores growing up and one time I told my dad I wanted this really expensive dress for a middle school dance and…"

Svea inhaled. "Well, it was super expensive and he initially said no. So, as a bratty thirteen year old kid, I threw a fit. I said all I wanted was to fit in and… well, I told him I was embarrassed of him, especially after my mom died…"

Svea frowned, continuing on. "And ever since… he just… and we barely have money so I have a job and he has at least three and we work when we can but he wants me to focus on school and so Alfred…"

She closed her eyes. "We were dating and he wanted sex. I said no. He knew about my financial situation. He said he'd pay… and he would pay a lot…"

"You didn't!" Mathilde shouted.

"I sold my virginity for two hundred and fifty bucks," Svea mumbled. "And then when we broke up he went and blabbed about that and so in order to shut him up I just kept being like his own whore and sometimes I'd go with other boys but…"

"Svea, how… I just…" Mathilde huffed. "That's terrible you felt that he still owned your body… and now he's using it against you because you have Timo…"

"Had," Svea corrected. "It is what it is…"

Mathilde's eyes narrowed. "How can you say that?"

"I mean, it was stupid on my part," Svea explained, shrugging. "We're just…"

"Un-fucking-believeable!" Mathilde interjected. "The sexual tension is ridiculous between you two and you're still holding onto this notion that you two can't be togeyher because of stupid high school stereotypes!"

"I mean, who would really want to be with someone who whores themself out?"

"You're not…"

"I have sex for cash." Svea deadpanned. Mathilde shrugged as she relaxed and Svea shrugged in return. "I don't think he would've cared even if he knew why…"

"I think if he knew, he would be expelled for killing some stupid little privileged fuck boy." Mathilde offered a smile and Svea shrugged. "Come on… we should get back to class…" Mathilde stood up and Svea frowned. Mathilde wiped her eyes before tossing the toilet paper behind her, reaching over to embrace Svea.

"Thanks," Mathilde whispered. "Sorry I called you a lot of names before. And like, fifty seconds ago."

"You were right to do so…" Svea replied and they broke their embrace. The two exited the stall and walked over to the door. Mathilde pushed it open and Svea froze, coming toe-to-toe with Feliciano, who looked embarrassed.

"Uh, er… you both look like you need a hug?"

Mathilde sneered pushing him back away from Svea. "Save it. You're a little shit. Come to tell us you're going to write nasty messages about Willie in the girls' room and then blame it on us?"

"I've come to make amends!" Feliciano explained. "You see… I thought a lot… and well…" He bit his lip and Svea looked over at Mathilde, who crossed her arms. She looked like hell, but Svea could tell that there was a fire in her eyes, ready to kill if he so dared to cross her.

"And well?" Svea echoed. "You're going to have to speed this up. We _do_ have classes to get to…"

"And after talking to Lovi I've decided that I'm going to Willie to tell him about Alfred paying Leon and I and blackmailing us to vandalize the gym." Feliciano lowered his gaze and Svea gaped. "And I'll tell him that Raya Hristova was the one hacking into the school's security system and…"

Feli looked back up as Mathilde's expression softened. "It's not fair. Alfred is being a dick. And it's not fair. He's hurting a lot of people, but I won't let him anymore. I'm gonna right my wrongs."

Mathilde grinned, reaching out to pat Feliciano's shoulder. "Feli, thanks. That's great. You're going to tell him today?"

"Yes, during my lunch break."

"What about Leon?"

Feliciano frowned. "I, uh, can't speak for him. I was going to talk to him after… but I think he'll realize how terrible this is and how poorly he treated Erikur, and he'll come around…"

 **x x x**

"Leon, we need to talk."

Leon hissed as Erikur shoved him against the locker in the hall. Half the school was in lunch and those who weren't were in their classes. Leon and Erikur locked eyes as Erikur clenched his fists. "I know about the gym."

Leon's eyes widened. "How?"

"Your brother told us it wasn't his car. We know it's not Manny. We already investigated him. That leaves you." Erikur's eyes narrowed. "What the fuck were you thinking? What the hell? How could you do that to _me_ , Leon? We're supposed to be best _fucking_ friends?"

"We are! Or, at least, were." Leon pushed Erikur away. "I don't know. You hide shit from us all the time. How am I suppose to feel when I find out you couldn't trust me enough to come out to me? Afraid I'd out you to your parents? You _know_ better."

"Do _not_ make this about me!" Erikur snapped. "And if you were really my best friend, you'd put your stupid little grudge and bias against Kiet aside and try to be happy for me! But no, not only am I being punished for what you're doing, but I also am being shut out by you because you didn't like…"

"Oh, come off it," Leon grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Why'd you do it?"

Leon's eyes narrowed. "Because I fucking felt like it."

"Why'd you let the blame fall on me?"

Leon chuckled. "You know, you don't get it? It's not about you all the time. Stupid, self-centered…"

"But you let me take the fall for this! I may be one of five, but your actions are impacting me!"

Leon balled his hands into fists. "Keep running your mouth, Steilsson, or I'll end you."

"I'd like to see you try."

Leon threw a sloppy punch and Erikur caught his wrist. He flinched and Leon blinked. "I've had a lot of practice." Erikur released his arm, crossing his own and tapping his foot. "Come on, Leon. I've known you for years. Don't pull this shit. Talk to me. I know that it's Alfred, and as of late, he doesn't have a good track record…"

"You can mind your own business."

Leon rolled his eyes as Erikur stepped back. "Fuck, Leon, what did I do?"

Leon frowned. "Nothing, it's just… it's not your business, and it'll be over soon. Don't worry. You can go back to either being in the closet and popular or you can date your nerdy, stupid, trashy boyfriend and act like suddenly you're high and mighty because you broke down those nasty little stereotypes."

Leon watched as Erikur's jaw dropped. "I don't think that. But here you are calling Kiet trash and…"

"Says the boy who can't even be seen with him in public."

Leon smirked as Erikur's face began to turn red. "Don't act like an enlightened asshole." Leon chuckled as he walked away. Erikur about tackled him to the ground, until the bell rang, and he walked towards his locker

 **x x x**

"He was so smug."

"You've said that about thirty times." Timo chuckled as Erikur fumed.

"And I wanted to smack him."

"Glad you didn't, because suspension is boring."

Erikur looked over as Timo gave his tenth deadpanned reply and Lukas remained silent, looking rather glum. He wanted to yell at them, asking what their damage was as they both seemed to have attitudes. "Where are Svea and Mathilde?" he opted for instead. Maybe the mention of their crushes would brighten the mood…

"Svea's probably sucking someone's dick, so I don't expect to see the tramp anytime soon."

 _Okay_ , Erikur thought. _That's not a normal response_ …

Lukas' eyes darkened and he looked away. "Mathilde… who cares?

 _Fucking weird_. He huffed, about to inquire what was wrong when he heard the sound of books falling to the ground and a body being slammed up against the locker. The three looked over in the direction of the sound and Erikur's blood boiled.

"Well, well, look who it is," Alfred said with a chuckle. "Kiet Sripuy, it's been a while. How have you been?"

"Leave me alone, Alfred, I'm not in the mood."

"Huh, well…" Alfred chuckled. "That's a first. I thought you liked tall, blond, and handsome?" he asked as Kiet tried to push Alfred out of his personal bubble. "Blue eyes too, so I heard. But, I could be wrong…"

"May just suck any dick that is waved in his face, honestly," somebody said. Erikur bit his lip as his ears began to burn with anger. Lukas leaned closer, whispering into his ear to block out the sounds of the taunting.

"Hey, come on, we have detention." It was an attempt to keep Erikur out of this. Erikur huffed as Timo rolled his eyes. "Erikur…"

"Go on, I'll meet you there." Erikur gripped the strap on backpack as he walked over to the group. Alfred stood surrounded by at least four football guys he didn't interact with that were seniors and juniors. Next to him was his freshman cousin, who was in the middle of spewing slurs at Kiet.

"Oh look! It's Eri!" one of the seniors called. "Need us to hold him so you can give him a nice ass kicking again?"

"Alright, guys, show's over. Leave him be."

Erikur inhaled, his stomach clenching as his voice shook. Everyone gasped audibly and the students in the hall stopped to listen, shocked by Erikur's objection to the tormenting of Kiet. "Woah, what the hell?"

"Oh, Eri, come on," Alfred cooed, winking at him as Kiet eyed Erikur. "We're just having fun. Besides, I bet this guy really likes it rough. Probably enjoys choking on a nice, big…"

"I said stop, Alfred." Erikur's voice was more firm and strong, much more confident in what he was saying. "I fucking mean it. Leave Kiet alone. He did nothing."

The group was staring at Erikur as if he had three heads. Alfred chuckled as he crossed his arms. "What, are you so desperate for a lay you'll let the cock slut suck your dick? Now, what would your parents say?"

"Alfed, I'll kick your damn ass," Erikur threatened. He stepped closer, but Alfred didn't budge. Erikur knew Alfred was trying to scare him into submission, mentioning his parents casually. Erikur didn't back down. He wasn't going to let this happen. He saw Svea and Mathilde from the corner of his eye, whispering as they watched the scene unfold.

He looked anywhere but at Kiet, afraid to see what Kiet's face looked like.

"Oh please," the freshman snorted, bringing him back to reality. "Don't tell me you're suddenly on a crusade to protect this nobody?"

"Yeah, why does it matter if we kick his little gay ass?"

"It matters because that's my fucking boyfriend!" Erikur shouted. Alfred's eyes widened and Erikur watched the freshman step away from him, terrified that Erikur would turn on him. The hallway grew still and Erikur coughed. He looked over at Kiet who also stared at him in wonder.

"Oh, well… uh…" One of them turned as two stepped far away, trying to distance themselves. Alfred's grin never faded as Erikur's confidence waivered again, slowly disappearing as he realized what had just happened.

Luckily, he felt someone grab his arm. "Get lost or I will make sure the school gets you kicked out for homophobic slander, bitches." Mathilde snickered as the group began to disperse and the hallway began to stir with whispers related to what had happened. Svea walked over, ushering the two away as Kiet tried to reach out.

"We have detention. _Now_."

"But wait, Ki…" Mathilde shushed him.

"I don't think you realized but you outted yourself to the school." Svea glanced at Mathilde. "And well, also, you two kind of broke up."

"Not _officially_."

"You two haven't spoken in a few days," Mathilde reminded him. "And uh, he may need space from this. And you need time to react proper…"

"Oh my fucking God…" Erikur interrupted. He stopped outside the library door as Lukas and Timo walked up, both stunned from what had just happened. "Hey, Eri, how are you?" Svea and Mathilde released Erikur's arms as his eyes widened.

"Fucking terrible! I'm so… I outted myself! Holy shit!" He kicked the library door and Mathilde shrugged. Svea looked over at Mathilde in shock."

"There's the reaction." Mathilde chuckled at what she said as Svea rolled her eyes, rubbing Erikur's back.

"My parents! Oh my God…"

Lukas opened the door and the five filed in. Instead of entering an empty library, Mr. Willie stood there with two adults, both blonde. Timo's jaw dropped. "Mom, Dad?" Timo asked.

"Oh God did he call our parents?" Erikur asked. Mathilde looked over at Svea who stood in shock. "Oh my God, please no…"

Mr. Willie looked at the group. "It's time to end this vandalism nonsense and close this case, once and for all."


	36. Taking the Fall

thanks for waiting for me to get my shit together. The last week of 2016 was spent with approximately 30 hours i was sober.

Happy belated New Year! I have only three more chapters left to write, a handful to post, and then... well, you'll never have to see me again...

...jk i have other shit planned. which, i'm still trying to figure out the best way to tell ya'll that isn't an incredibly long authoress note but at this rate, that wouldn't be anything new, would it?

enjoy.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Taking the Fall_

"Timo Väinämöinen is the one who had vandalized the gym. His friend Eduard aided him in shutting down security. Timo threatened two other students and enlisted their help to vandalize, throwing the trail off of him, and using their involvement to trick this group into thinking he was uninvolved…"

"That's such horseshit!" Mathilde shouted. "It was so not Timo! It was Alfred!"

"That's what Timo wanted you to believe," Mr. Willie said. "We spoke with the two students… they provided the proof and verbal confirmation. We suspended his friend, Eduard, and now… we're looking at expulsion for your son, Mr. and Mrs. Vainamoinen."

Erikur blinked, realizing what Leon meant by saying it would all 'work out' or 'fix itself.' "One of them is lying! I know him!" Erikur argued.

"And the other one... he is too! He told us something different!" Mathilde explained. "Helmi, Eino… you have to trust us!"

"You four have been manipulated."

"Timo may be a lot of things, but he's innocent," Svea claimed. "You cannot sit here and pin this all on him." Lukas nodded, opting for silence as Mr. Willie scowled.

"You four are being ridiculous!"

"I want to hear from my son, if you don't mind, kids," Mr. Väinämöinen, Eino, said. "Timo, tell me, what did you do?"

Timo looked down at the table, his expression bitter and angry. He inhaled, before looking up. "I did it."

"What?" The whole group began to talk all at once. Mr. Willie slammed his hand onto the table as Helmi began to weep. Timo looked at the four, then back at his father.

"I paid Leon and Feli. I vandalized the gym because I was pissed off at Jonah for something or another. I did it."

"I cannot _believe_ this!" his mother screamed. "You promised, Timo! No more fucking antics like this…!"

"Helmi!" Eino scolded. "I'm sorry, Mr. Willie, for all he has done." The group stared at Timo in shocked. "We accept any punishment you give him…"

"Expulsion."

The group began to shout, and Timo shook his head. His parents nodded as they looked over at Timo and he looked away, trying to avoid their disappointed gazes. "Go clean out your locker while we finalize whatever is coming."

"The four of you…I apologize for ever believing you participated in such childish actions, and you are dismissed." Mr. Willie smiled at them as Timo got up to leave. The four stared back, stunned into silence as he waved them off.

"It wasn't Timo!" Mathilde continued to argue as she stood up. The group watched as she slammed her chair into the table, storming out of the library. The other three got up and followed her out, watching as she ran down the hallway towards Timo's locker.

"Timo, what the fuck?" Mathilde screamed. "What the fuck?"

"Just go enjoy prom. Not like there's much for me." He opened his locker, refusing to look over at her as she stomped her foot. The other three slowly approached. "I did it for you guys. It's easier if one of us takes the fall, because we aren't winning, and I'm not dealing with detention another day. Go on."

"Oh, so you think that now that you've made yourself a tragic fucking hero…!" Svea spat. Timo glared at her, slamming his locker door.

"You know, you should be honored I'm not getting your stupid fucking boyfriend expelled! Go have a celebratory fuck with him. He won and I'm taking the fall. And now neither of you have to look at my unworthy, ugly face again!"

"Timo!" Erikur scolded. "Come on, Svea's right. Mathilde's right. You don't have to take the fall. I won't let you. It's super shitty Leon lied…"

"And Feli flipped! Said he was ratting out Alfred!" Mathilde added.

"I wonder how he found out…" Timo's gaze never left Svea. "God, probably fucked the news right out of you…"

"Back off, Ti." Mathilde stepped forward, putting a physical barrier between the two. "Svea is not to blame. You have your issues, but that doesn't mean she's trying to fuck you over. Besides, maybe if…"

"This was really fun, but you guys have a great rest of the year. Maybe I'll talk to you, Mathilde. The rest of you, it was fun pretending like we all changed and weren't self-conscious pricks." Timo laughed, although it was empty and eerie. "Go on, go back to being a Princess, and a Nerd, and an Athlete. Nobody's going to give a shit. Go back to being assholes and bitches and self-absorbed divas." Mathilde shook her head and Lukas frowned. "I'm done, and so are we as a group."

"Come on, Ti, we won't…"

"Can it, Lukas." Timo shouted. "We're fucking done." He grabbed his notebooks, throwing them into a nearby garbage can as he grabbed his books. "Good fucking riddance."

Everyone watched as he made his way to the office, shocked at his sudden outburst and the series of events.

 **x x x**

"You didn't tell Alfred, did you?"

Mathilde looked over at Svea as she shook her head. "No, I didn't."

"Are you actually going to prom with him though?"

Svea frowned. "I don't _want_ to. He's asked me three times today, and he basically is pissed off. He asked me to come over tonight and I'm setting him straight. Maybe you and I can go stag together or something…"

Mathilde laughed. "Maybe we can pick up some male escorts. I mean, or share Kiet…"

"I don't know, maybe now that Eri's out he may go with him. I bet Kiet was swooning…"

"Or thinking the kid's as dumb as he looks." Mathilde snorted and Svea rolled her eyes. "Hey …do you think though after all this, we'll even all still be friends? Maybe Timo's right, you know? What if we only bonded because convenience and the fact we spent so much time…"

"Mathilde, we'll work it out." Svea smiled. "I won't let Timo be a petty little bitch and take the fall. Besides, my actual friends are pretty cool… they'd like you and you'd like them. I mean, Jake already kind of hangs out with us, and everyone _loves_ him…"

"Nobody hates Jake, that's physically impossible."

Svea nodded and chuckled. Mathilde's smile began to fade and Svea looked away. "Thinking about Lukas?"

"Yeah… Erikur said he was worried about him. He was really quiet and all shaken up and he was super upset in the car…"

"He'll come around." Svea placed a hand on her knee. "He's smart. He's got a good head on his shoulders… and he'll be okay."

Mathilde forced a smile. "Yeah, I hope you're right."

 **x x x**

Helmi hadn't stopped crying since the meeting at school. Eino scowled and shouted and cursed the time they ate dinner. Venla looked over at Timo and frowned. She wasn't disappointed, just upset at the state of their house. "Venla, go to your room…"

"But Daddy…"

"Room!" he barked and Timo nodded, shooing her out of the kitchen. His father didn't even wait to make sure she was gone before he lashed into Timo. "This is the final straw! We're enrolling you in a boarding school! Military."

"Yeah, that'll work," Timo sneered. "Send me away. Make me someone else's problem."

"You promised us!" Helmi said through hiccups, still visibly upset. "You honestly think we want you to move out now? No! We can hardly afford sending you away, but at least this boarding school takes troubled and aggressive youths that have been booted from school."

"I didn't do it."

"Timo, seriously? You cannot change your story every hour now!"' Eino scolded. "It's bad enough you lied to us…"

"I'm not. Everyone was telling the truth." Timo frowned. "Alfred Jones did it. I only said I did because I was tired of detention."

"Because expulsion is _so_ much better!" Helmi laughed maniacally and Timo shrunk into his seat. "Oh, that's so nice to hear! Our son is a criminal because he got sick of being in detention so he lied and took fault for something…"

"We can't afford a lawyer, Timo Elias Väinämöinen!" His father's voice made him jump. "And you're sitting here acting like it's no big deal!"

"I know it's a big deal, but…"

"Why would you even take the fall for something this major?" his mother screamed. "Why would you even fucking dare think about that?"

"Because if I spend another day around her I'm going to lose my temper and that scares me!" Timo screamed. His eyes began to burn as he tried to hold back any tears. "I just… I can't handle it okay?"

Eino frowned, walking over to the countertop as Helmi walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The blonde girl with glasses? Svea?"

"Yes, Svea." Timo looked away. Helmi leaned down to embrace her son and he inhaled sharply. "I'm just… I'm so mad at her…"

"Well, here's some good news for you… you won't have to see her anyway…" A brochure flew onto the table, landing right in front of him. "June. You're enrolling in June." Timo looked up as he grabbed the brochure.

"You're serious."

"We only want the best for you…" His mother pulled away and frowned.

Timo frowned. "Yeah, I'm sure you fucking do."

He stood up and stormed out of the kitchen, ignoring the pleas from his mother to listen to them.


	37. Breaking Up

timo makes no appearance because technically i cut his freakout out of this chapter and threw it in the last chapter. everyone else has a mini-meltdown and the group is falling apart.

rosie is the best character in this whole story hands down i'll fight anyone who disagrees. i mean i won't fight you buuuuuut.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Breaking Up_

Lukas hated the taste of wine. He also hated the smell and how the red wine stained everything it touched at…

 _Wow, you may be drunk_.

Groaning, he threw the book across the room and heard it crash into something, probably some kind of trinket he owned. He rolled over onto his side as he heard his mother shuffling about in the house, bumping into things.

He groaned loudly, pulling a blanket over his head as he tried to fight off the impending headache he had. The doorbell began to ring and Lukas swore it got thirty times louder. "Lukas, get the door."

"Mom…"

"Get the damn door!"

Lukas didn't necessarily want to. He had an inclination on who was at the front door, and if it _was_ Mathilde, well… he wasn't sure. Lukas stood up and wobbled, the room suddenly spinning and the ground feeling uneven.

 _Yeah, definitely drunk_.

He groaned and trekked from his room towards the front door, soothing his hair before he opened the front door and braced himself for Mathilde.

"Hey, Lu."

Lukas let out a breath of relief. "Oh, Indre. Cool." He glanced down at the ground. "Come to insult me again?" Indre shook her head and glanced behind him. She look uncomfortable.

"Can I come in?" she asked, turning her attention back to Lukas as he swayed. He shrugged, walking over to the sofa as Indre walked in, shutting the door behind her. She watched him collapse onto the sofa, before walking over to an armchair and taking her seat.

"I wanted to say… maybe… I haven't been fair."

"You're goddam right you haven't been." Lukas wrinkled his nose. "What made you finally realize that?"

Indre's eyes narrowed as if she were trying to see right through Lukas. Her scrutinizing gaze did not soften as she answered, "Maybe that psycho bitch made me realize I didn't give you a chance to explain your displeasure with Raya, and that wasn't fair to you…"

She watched Lukas' eyes flutter closed. "But… that doesn't mean I like Mathilde. And I think you're wrong if even _thinking_ about taking her to prom. Look at you!" Indre exclaimed, motioning towards him. "Let me guess, she broke your heart because she was off with Jan…"

"Hey, shut the hell up!" Lukas shot up, swaying as the room again became blurry and started spinning. "You don't know her!"

"Lukas, you smell like three dollar wine and you're slurring." Indre crossed her arms. "Need I remind you this is what your freshman year looked like? Trying to flunk out again?"

"Mathilde has nothing…" Lukas frowned. "I should be pissed at you! Had she not said anything to you, this…" Lukas' stomach lurched, but he held it in, taking a deep breath. "We wouldn't have…"

"What?"

"I lost my chill, because I decided I wasn't good enough, and I'm not."

Indre frowned. "I think…"

"And because of my loss of chill I lost her friendship." Lukas scowled. "I'm just not meant to have nice things. It's that simple. Poor trailer trash can't get far in life. I'm doomed to be an alcoholic like my parents."

"Not with that attitude." Indre moved across the room to the sofa. "Lu, you're my best friend. You've got a lot going for you, and you work super hard. You'll get through this. I promise."

Lukas forced a smile and Indre winced. "Yeah, sure."

"I'm here, and I have a feeling… Mathilde will be too… as much as I hate to admit it…" Indre reached over, squeezing his knee and offering him a small smile. "You just… get your shit under control?"

Lukas pulled away, scowling. "I'm _fine_. Just… I need time to myself…"

Indre shook her head. "No, Lu, I think…"

Lukas stood up and growled, "Just leave it, Dre. Besides, you may have apologized, but I don't forgive that easily." Indre opened her mouth but Lukas turned his back, walking out of the living as Indre stumbled over words to protest.

 **x x x**

"So, Mathilde, any candidates for the prom?"

"Oh jeez, Shay, I'm so glad you're taking my teen life, but I'm afraid I will be too busy sitting in my room and angsting over the fact my knight in shining armor won't ask me to prom."

"Is it that _boy_ who was tutoring you?" her father asked. Mathilde's fork scraped against her plate as she huffed. Rosie looked over at her father, pouring him a glass of wine as he shook his head. "You could do _so_ much better. Even those little hoodlums you hang out with…"

"Daddy, please," Mathilde pleaded. "You didn't even bother to get to know Lukas…"

"Why should we?" Shayla interjected. "He's white trash. Poor, white trash. Everyone knows about his parents at the country club. His mother works there…"

"Shut the hell up, Shayla," Mathilde snapped. Her father's eyes narrowed as Mathilde looked over at him. "Lukas is smart. He's probably going to go Ivy League after high school…"

"With what money," Shayla muttered. Rosie huffed, shuffling around the dining room as she grabbed a pitcher of water, walking over to Mathilde, pouring her another glass as Mathilde tensed up.

"You know, not everyone is a gold digging bitch, Shay," Mathilde said, giggling.

"Mathilde…" her father warned. "I'm not going to tell you I disagree with you, but… Shayla is trying to look out for your best interest." Mathilde's eyes widened as Shayla smirked.

"You wouldn't have to settle for such little boys if you would just…" Shayla laughed. "You could grow your hair out, lose a few pounds, and…"

"If I have to do that to get any guy to like me, I'd rather _not_." Mathilde frowned. "That's why Lukas… that's why he was cool. I didn't have to be anybody for him. I could be myself!" She glared at Shayla. "Something you wouldn't know about."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you both are so fucking shallow it's disgusting!" Mathilde shouted. "You only care about work and money," she said to her father. "And _you_ ," she spat, turning towards Shayla, "are only here for the money. Which, newsflash, as long as I'm here, you won't see a fucking dime."

Mathilde smirked, scooting her chair out from under the table and rising to her feet. Shayla gasped as her father narrowed her eyes. "Go on, ground me. Tell me how stupid and rebellious I'm being."

Mathilde waved to them and walked out of the kitchen. Shayla gasped again, turning to her husband as she muttered, "What a terrible, unruly child! Unattractive, disobedient, and…"

Rosie frowned, grabbing the bottle of wine from the table and reaching over, pouring into Shayla's empty glass. "And she's a stupid little tramp!" Rosie leaned forward, dumping all of the wine onto Shayla's lap.

Shayla screamed and Rosie smirked. "Oops, my bad. Guess I'm just clumsy. Let me get some towels from the wash room…" Rosie turned around, holding in her laughter until she left the kitchen, dashing up the stairs and towards Mathilde's room. She didn't even bother knocking as she opened the door, slipping inside.

"God, kid, you make me _so_ proud everyday!" Rosie exclaimed, leaning over to embrace Mathilde as she jumped. Rosie pulled away, watching as Mathilde's eyes watered and Rosie frowned. "Oh, _mi tesoro_ , what's wrong?"

"He won't talk to me."

"Lukas?" Rosie asked, ushering her to the bed and sitting her down. "Oh, sweetie… what happened?"

"H-he's blaming me for…" Mathilde paused. "He said… w-we c-c-c-can't be friends. That I'm n-n-no good!"

Rosie frowned. "Get it together, Mati. You're never one to cry over anyone, especially a boy!" Rosie knelt down, grabbing her face to bring Mathilde's gaze towards her. "You still care about him, and I think you need to talk to him."

Mathilde shook her head. "It's pointless, Rosie."

"When have you been one to give up so easily?"

"We don't have to see each other everyday," Mathilde explained. "And we were… we… I… he…"

"You're being stupid," Rosie finished. "Now, you have two options: wallow in your misery or make things right, Mati."

"Rosalva!" Mathilde shrieked. "It's not that easy!"

Rosie frowned. "Your call, _cariña_ ," Rosie finally replied. "Your call."

 **x x x**

"Svea! Glad you could make it."

Svea frowned as Alfred opened the door, motioning for her to come inside. Svea shook her head. "Alfred, I can tell what you're doing… nobody wears a suit to invite someone over just 'to talk.'" She scowled as Alfred's smile waivered. "And… I'm not interested. I meant it when I said I wasn't going to go to prom with you…"

"But now that the nobody is gone…"

"Yeah," Svea deadpanned. "Thanks to you. And my mind is still made up. I don't want to go with you, nor will I ever!" Alfred frowned as she shrugged. "No worries. I'm sure you won't have issues finding anyone else…"

"And what if I don't want anyone else?"

Svea snorted, rolling her eyes. "Tough shit." As she was about to turn and walk away, she felt Alfred grab her arm and squeeze it – tight. "Hey, let go. I said I was done."

"You know, I always thought hanging out with that group was dangerous," Alfred hissed. "And, well," he began, snickering. "I think this empowerment shit that psycho bitch Densen has given you is ridiculous."

"Leave Mathilde out of this," Svea commanded.

"And I think, hmm, wouldn't it be funny…" Alfred chuckled. "If the whole school just knew about your little late night business?"

Svea froze and narrowed her eyes. "You… you wouldn't _dare_ ," Svea snarled, pulling her arm away. "You're blackmailing me?"

"I just think it would be more beneficial for you to go to prom with me, unless, you know, you don't _mind_ everyone knowing…" Alfred shrugged. "And maybe wouldn't be ashamed to tell your dad too…"

Svea's stomach dropped. Her knees grew weak as Alfred smiled. She looked at the ground and allowed herself to be pulled into the house.

 **x x x**

 **NiNi B**  
 _It's all over the fucking school._

 **Elise V**  
 _That was so incredibly brave, Eri._

 **Elise V** _  
And it was kinda sweet. Like a romance movie._

 **Nichi Costin**  
 _You should've kicked Jones' ass but w/e guess that works too._

 **Elise V**  
 _And since WHEN is violence ever the answer, Nichi?_

 **MeiMei**  
 _I mean, it is when Alfred Fuckboi Jones is involved._

Erikur shifted in the bed, kicking the blanket from off his feet as he tossed the shirt he had been using as a pillow across the room. He chuckled as he typed up a response.

 _Mei you're my favorite._

 **Leon**  
 _I mean also you would've gotten your ass handed to you…_

Erikur frowned as he tossed his phone carelessly in his hands after getting the text. Leon suddenly remembered he was part of this group chat, and decided that he could act like _nothing_ had happened. Erikur had mentioned this briefly in a text to Nichelle, who suggested they make amends.

If only she knew…

He was about to type something else when the doorbell began to ring. He looked over at the clock, realizing his parents would be gone for another three hours and that there was no reason anybody would be coming over. Even his friends knew better than to drop by unannounced.

Setting his phone on his bed, Erikur walked out of his bedroom. He regretted tossing his shirt carelessly somewhere, but he wasn't in the mood, and if it was some kind of religious solicitor, they usually were made uncomfortable by any lack of closing and left.

He unlocked the door and opened it, mumbling, "We're not interested," before he even registered who was standing in front of him. Kiet rolled his eyes.

"Oh, dear, then however will I meet the company quota for selling vacuums?"

"I, uh… " Erikur stumbled, turning bright red as Kiet crossed his arms. "Kiet. Hi. Uh, what are you doing here?"

"Selling vacuums door to door, apparently." Kiet huffed as Erikur blinked, still in shock. "Can I come in? Or…" Erikur nodded his head in response, stepping aside as Kiet smiled. "Thanks, it's suppose to rain soon, and I really didn't want to try and talk to you when it's down pouring…"

"Well, you're also wearing white…"

"Least I have a shirt on."

Erikur flushed as he closed the door behind Kiet. "I was planning on nobody stopping by. Which, uh… why?"

"Why am I here?" Kiet asked for clarification. Erikur nodded and Kiet sat down on the sofa, leaning against the left arm as he kicked off his shoes. "I, uh, wanted to talk to you… about today."

"Sorry I called you my boyfriend," Erikur said. "I mean, I know we're not… or I think we aren't… but… I don't know, it slipped out and I just went with it and well, we weren't _officially_ broken up but I guess it was heavily implied and…"

"I don't know why I bother trying to talk when I know if I say one thing you have seven things to say in relation to that." Kiet smiled at Erikur, making it clear he was teasing. "Sit down, you standing is making me nervous."

Erikur sat down on the opposite side of the sofa from Kiet, and Kiet shifted his body so that he was turned to face Erikur. "I don't think you realize that no guy I've been with has ever stood up for me like you did."

"Wow, you dated assholes."

"Aren't you friends with Manuel?"

"And he's kind of an asshole," Erikur stated,

"I dated _you_."

"And I'm kind of an asshole."

Kiet laughed as Erikur forced himself to smile. His hands began to shake as Kiet's laughter died down.

"And, well," Kiet continued on his train of thought, "I just… it means a lot that you were willing to put yourself out there. That you cared enough about standing up for me and all. I honestly didn't see that coming, especially given your demeanor at the start of the semester…"

"I was kind of just like my parents' robot, and it's hard, with the hetero–"

"Heteronormative sports environment, I've heard of that, yeah." Kiet shrugged. "And, well, I think… I think that I owe you an apology…"

"Wait, you owe me one?"

"I guess I was kind of use to being with guys who were out and the last time I was with anyone in the closet was Manny, and _that_ was a shit show. I guess on one hand, I wanted us to work, but I was terrified of us ending like that and…"

"I should've been more… I guess I was still ashamed… and afraid… but uh, nobody's given me major shit… well, Mei and Nichi said I should've beat the shit out of Alfred, but…"

Kiet smiled. "Probably true."

Erikur looked down at his hands, twiddling his thumbs as he cleared his throat. "So, uh, Kiet…"

"Yeah?" Kiet responded.

"What are your plans Saturday night?" Erikur asked.

"Probably going to sit at home," Kiet answered. He then added, "Listen to angsty women grunge rock of the early nineties and write really edgy poetry. You know, typical teen shit."

"I swear…" Erikur muttered. "But, uh… so, I heard there's this dance… like school sponsored, and it's suppose to be some typical high school ritual and well, originally, this really cool guy asked me, but I freaked and said no…"

Kiet grinned, scooting closer to Erikur. "You mean it?"

"I mean, granted, if I'm not grounded or anything for the inevitable when my parents find out moment…" Erikur rolled his eyes. "But, uh, I think they probably won't hear about it right away. Most of my friends aren't telling their parents, so…"

"You're rambling."

"Right, so, uh," Erikur hesitated. "Prom?"

Kiet smirked and leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss against Erikur's lips. He pulled away, mumbling, "Does that answer your question?"

"Uh," Erikur hummed in thought. "No, uh, that wasn't a very sure answer. I think I need a little more convincing…"

Kiet rolled his eyes and as soon as Erikur blinked, he had crawled onto his lap, his legs on either side of his thighs. "How about now?"

Erikur was frozen before Kiet kissed him again. Erikur rested his hands on Kiet's waist, closing his eyes as he returned the kiss this time. "Yeah, this is a _lot_ clearer," he mumbled against Kiet's lips and the smaller male chuckled, before kissing him harder. Kiet rested his hands on Erikur's shoulders and Erikur smirked as his hands ran down his chest.

Erikur's grip tightened as he tried to pull Kiet closer, and they continued like this for what seemed like ages. Erikur couldn't hear anything but the sounds of his and Kiet's breathing, and he realized everything was _hot_ and he needed more, so even if they broke for air, he was right back at it, and he was just content. The world around him didn't matter.

…really, it should've.

Erikur heard a scream and Kiet was the one who pulled away first. Erikur blinked, a little disgruntled and confused before he turned towards the kitchen, watching his mother's eyes narrow. Her purse was spilt all over the floor, obviously having been dropped in shock.

His father loomed behind her, mumbling, "I knew I couldn't trust that little fa–!"

"I guess what we heard _was_ true!" his mother interrupted, which for once, was a relief to Erikur, because had his father finished his thought, Erikur would've lost his cool. He nudged Kiet from his lap and stood up. Kiet blinked, watching as Erikur looked away from him and glanced back at his parents.

"Listen, I just… let me explain."

"How can you _possibly_ explain how you let this unholy little monster's tongue in your mouth?" his mother screamed. Kiet buried his face into his arm and Erikur struggled to keep a straight face when he felt Kiet silently laugh into his skin.

"Why would you even let that fag into our house?" his father shouted. Kiet immediately stopped laughing and grew stiff at the word and Erikur balled his fists. "You know the policy. Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"

"Kiet, you don't need to hear this." Erikur turned his back to his parents. "Come on, I'll walk you to your car."

"You should come too," Kiet whispered, glancing behind him as Erikur ushered him towards the front door, shaking his head. "I mean it. Eri…"

"Get back here!"

Erikur was yanked back but a hand around his neck and tossed onto the sofa. "Your little _boyfriend_ can leave, but you're staying." His father turned to Kiet. "Get lost."

"I think I'll stay…"

"Kiet, go," Erikur said, forcing a smile. "I'll be fine. No worries, I'll call you later."

Kiet frowned and opened the front door. "Promise?"

"Promise."

Erikur's mom walked towards the front door and frowned. "Leave," she commanded, pushing him out the front door and slamming the door in his face. Erikur inhaled sharply.

His mother spoke first. "We heard about what you said at school and cut _our_ night short because you embarrassed us. And then we come here and see _that_?"

"Had you shown up ten minutes later, maybe you would've gotten a better show." Erikur rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. I'm gay. And he's my boyfriend. And you can either take it or leave it. There's nothing _wrong_ with that, contrary to your beliefs…"

Erikur felt something hard make contact with his face, and it took a while for him to register it was a fist. "You fucking smartass! You piece of shit! All you do is ruin everything for us!"

"God, life would've been worlds better _without you_!" his mother screamed. "How could you? And with _him_ of all people!" His father said nothing, but threw another punch. "What are we going to do…?"

Erikur opened his mouth, but his father's hands were wrapped around his neck. Erikur struggled to breathe as his mother crossed her arms. "Basement. Now. Leave him there until we decide a proper punishment."

"I could just end his misery now…"

"I said basement." His father grumbled, releasing Erikur and then picking him up, walking towards the stairs. "And come up when he's tied down. We can have the dinner we fucking missed here."

Erikur tried to throw a punch, but his father didn't even flinch. His mother sighed, muttering, "You'll learn your lesson about disrespecting us one of these days…"


	38. Admit It

fun fact: i like even numbers or numbers divisible by five. so have another update.

also i figured if i double update everyday this will be done by the end of the week. good times, my dudes.

in which, JAN ACTS LIKE A HUMAN! RAYA IS STILL A BITCH! FELI IS SASSY! SVEA IS EVIL! and all that good shit.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Admit It_

"You're not."

Svea looked away and Mathilde scowled. "Oh my God, you are." She shook her head. "Of course. Couldn't stand losing your popularity…"

"He was going to tell everyone."

Mathilde froze. She looked away as Svea crossed her arms. "That was uncalled for. Sorry, Svea. But, like… still. This isn't good. I'm worried about you."

Svea smirked looking around the hallway as she whispered, "Hey, do you _really_ think I didn't think this through?" Mathilde blinked, shocked at such a reply. "Thilde, come on. Alfred will talk."

Mathilde's blank expression turned into something that was borderline-sinister. Svea nodded, biting her lip as she continued, "He's going to fuck himself over. I'll get him talking."

"I think Jake has a body recorder thing in his locker. I'll go get it," Mathilde giggled and Svea quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't wanna know…"

Mathilde laughed as Svea rolled her eyes, swinging her bag over her shoulders. "Catch you later, promised I'd meet up with Anya and Monika before class."

Mathilde waved to her and turned around, jumping twenty feet as Kiet stood behind her, looking a bit disgruntled. "Jesus! Give a girl a heart attack!" She frowned, placing a hand on his forearm as she mumbled, "You look like shit. What's up? No sleep?"

Kiet shook his head, glancing around nervously as he asked, "Hey, you haven't heard from Erikur have you? Like, since last night?" Mathilde shook her head and Kiet paled, his eyes widening.

"Did you go to his house at all? I thought you said you were…" Mathilde drifted off as Kiet paled.

"I did…"

"And?"

Kiet gulped. "His parents caught us making out."

Mathilde froze. Her brain didn't register the words that were leaving her mouth, "Yikes dot com. Worst than the story of Jan sneaking over into my house?" Kiet nodded and Mathilde shook her head. "How'd that go?"

"Bad. I'm worried."

"Okay, well…" Mathilde looked down the hall and blinked, tapping Kiet's arm as Leon Wang glanced over at them, leaning over to whisper to his girlfriend as he made his way towards him. "Oh, look. It's Eri's kind of friend. Maybe he knows…"

"He looks pissed," Kiet whispered.

"Pretty sure the kid doesn't know how to smile." Mathilde smiled as Leon approached the pair, glancing between the two. "Hey, Leon right? One of the less shitty friends Kiddo has!"

Kiet glanced at Mathilde as Leon ignored her. "So, you wouldn't happen to know what happened to Erikur? Since, you know, _apparently_ you're dating."

"Geez, tell us how you really feel." Kiet rolled his eyes and crossed his arm. "Besides, I was gonna ask you the same thing. Haven't heard from him since last night."

"And I bet it was another stupid fight?" Leon hissed. Mathilde's eyes narrowed and Kiet shrugged. "Not like I expect you to have any concern, considering you two were broken up last I heard…"

"Oh, like you have any real emotional investment in him, anyway," Mathilde snapped back. Kiet mouthed _stop_ and turned back to Leon, who blinked. "No, Ki, I'm not leaving this alone. Last _I_ heard, you were fucking over your best friend, and _why_?"

Leon stood there in shock as Kiet turned towards Mathilde. "Hey, is now…"

"Okay, hardly ever do I snap, but stay out of this one, Ki." Mathilde turned back to Leon. "Yeah, you sold him out because Alfred Jones probably paid you. Fucking over your best friend and you sit there and say that Kiet doesn't have a right to be involved because of a lover's spat?"

"Don't act like you know _everything_ , Densen."

"I know what Eri knows. And I know that you're kind of shitty friends." Mathilde crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Leon flushed, lowering his gaze. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"I didn't do it for money." Leon's voice was barely above a whisper. "Or… it wasn't just for the money…" Mathilde rolled her eyes as Leon scoffed. "I mean, yes, Alfred paid Feli and I, but everyone acts like I did it just for that."

"Could've fooled me," Mathilde snapped. "Come on, Ki, let's go…"

"Alfred has like this power over the school," Leon explained as Mathilde turned back to face him, making a face. "So, he's been a driving factor behind a lot of the preventative issues in Manny's relationship… I mean, Manny can handle himself…"

"Okay, so…"

"Alfred apparently has pictures of Mei, Nichelle, and Anya. Like, risqué ones. I'm not letting him post those anywhere. I don't know if he's bluffing about these pictures, but I'm not risking it."

"Bastard," Kiet whispered, looking over at Mathilde.

"You were the one who ratted on Timo?" Mathilde accused, although it came out sounding more like a question. Leon timidly nodded. "Because let me guess…"

"Yeah, he, uh… convinced us to do that."

"Okay, so what does Alfred have against Jonah?"

Leon frowned. "Not sure. He recruited us because it would throw you guys off his case…" Mathilde rolled her eyes as Leon huffed. "I never really asked. I never really… by the time I got involved it was less about Jonah and more about pissing you guys off, getting Timo kicked out, etcetera…"

Mathilde nodded absentmindedly, and Leon frowned. "Anyway, uh, I really didn't want to do that, at least… to Eri. Not sure why I did, but… I really have no excuse, huh?"

"Hey, we all fuck up, and well, in a way, you did it to protect Mei," Kiet said, elbowing Mathilde gently. Mathilde shrugged it off, muttering something to herself. Kiet turned back to Leon. "If we hear from Eri, we'll let you know… last I heard, though, his uh… _parents_ …"

Leon paled. "His parents heard about yesterday?"

Mathilde snickered but Kiet elbowed her again, this time with more force. "Uh, m-more or less."

"Between you guys and I, that's worrying…" Leon inhaled sharply.

"Why?" Mathilde asked.

"Well, Erikur's dad's temper is…" Leon paused. "He's just…" He paused again. "Just, last year, Erikur broke his wrist and he said it wasn't him, but we – the group and I – all know it was his dad, so I'm just worried that…"

The two older teens' eyes widened as Leon frowned. They stood in silence until the bell rang, and Kiet dodged out quickly before anyone else could say anything.

 **x x x**

Svea sighed and leaned back in her seat as her creative writing professor continued on explaining the plot of some silly movie she had never seen. She glanced around the classroom, her gaze falling on Feliciano as she huffed.

 _How dare he_.

Svea turned her attention back towards the teacher and tapped her pencil against the corner of her desk. A few minutes later, she felt something poking her arm and turned to glance over at the kid sitting next to her, poking her with a folded piece of paper. She took it, unfolding it gently as she skimmed over the neat, cursive on the piece of paper.

 _Can we talk after class? – F.V._

"You've _got_ to be joking…" Svea rolled her eyes and scribbled a curt response agreeing, but hoping her annoyance was clear as day as she handed it back to the kid, who in turn gave it back to Feliciano. Feli glanced over his shoulder, so Svea shot him her most intimidating look she could manage. Feli froze, his eyes widening as she glared. Feli turned back around and Svea smirked.

The bell rang loudly and Svea gathered her things, walking over to Feliciano's desk as he glanced up at her, biting his lower lip as she narrowed her eyes. "Well, talk."

"Now? There's another class!"

"So?" Svea snapped. "You're lucky I'm being this nice. You lied to me _and_ you fucked over Timo!"

Feliciano glanced up as the teacher eyed them. He stood up, grabbing her arm as he began to lead Svea from the classroom, mumbling, "Svea, you know Monika means the world to me, right?"

Svea rolled he eyes. Feliciano leaned closer, whispering, "And you know she's _really_ out of my league. She's so smart and pretty and brave and…" Svea's expression did not soften and Feliciano blushed. "And uh, well, she was pretty and popular and well… I wasn't. And Alfred…"

Svea rolled her eyes. Of course, Alfred was involved. "Well, I'm gonna stop you there," she hissed. "Because you made this decision yourself, Feliciano. You decided to once again, play into his games…"

"And what about you?" Feliciano asked. "I did this because Monika means the world to me! I don't care if Lovino thinks she's uptight and a bitch. And well, she makes me happy, and as her friend – best friend – you should care about what makes her happy!"

"I _do_ , and what's that suppose to me? What about _me_?" she spat.

"You're going to prom with Alfred, you have stock you want to protect."

Svea frowned, because it hurt to hear it. Feliciano was not even wrong. "I also have an upper hand in getting Timo out of trouble. Since, you know, _someone_ backed out."

"Alfred said… I couldn't… and you're no better!" Feliciano concluded, his throat clenching as he tried to give her a lecture. She sighed. "Why are you back with him? What about Timo?"

"Well, uh…" Svea hesitated. Feliciano smirked and Svea sighed. "Listen, speaking of Timo, that's what I want to ask… why did you flip?"

"If you weren't busy attacking me, you would've heard _why_ …" Svea was starting to realize how savage Feliciano really was. Maybe that was why he got along so well with Monika…

"Alfred and something about Monika?"

"We all know I'm not cool…" Feliciano turned bright red and Svea frowned. "And like, Alfred threatened not only my family but like, I guess me? And it's shallow I did that to Timo, but… I guess I kind of was afraid. I'm screwed either way…"

"Feli," Svea whispered, looking around. "You're a better person to Monika than I have been to anyone. She would've thought you were _stupid_ , yeah, but… she cares for you…"

"Like you did for Timo?"

Svea huffed. It still hurt; the wound was still fresh. "Yeah," she concurred. "Like I did for Timo."

 **x x x**

"Why are you so sad, my spiky haired _compadre_?"

"How did you ever pass Spanish?" Jan asked Jake, passing him the blunt as the youngest member of the quartet smirked. "Never mind, I don't wanna know…" Jan turned to Kiet as Mathilde began to stroke his hair. "But seriously, Ki. Your sour attitude is really fucking with my buzz."

"I'm just… Eri…" Kiet mumbled, leaning his head against Mathilde's chest as Jan rolled his eyes. "He's been… haven't heard from him. Nobody has. School says he's not feeling well but…"

"Maybe he is really sick," Jake offered, placing a hand on Kiet's thigh as he held out the blunt. Mathilde frowned, but nodded anyway to try and keep a positive attitude. "After all, he was sick the other day…"

"He had a concussion," Kiet stated. "I think from something that happened at home…"

Jake frowned, looking over at Mathilde as she nodded. Jan crossed his arms, mumbling, "How?"

"I think he said falling out of the shower but then he said falling down the stairs, so…" Mathilde glanced at Kiet as he spoke, scrunching her nose. "His mom seemed terrible. And his dad was _terrifying_."

"And so you're worried," Jan said, matter-of-factly. Kiet shrugged. "Or, let me guess, you feel guilty?"

"Both, I guess."

Kiet brought the blunt to his lips and Mathilde added, "He comes to school looking like someone jumped him, sometimes, and he gets anxious about his parents. Said they're really like strict and they sound hyper-religious."

"Sounds like they're just assholes," Jake mused. Jan nodded, scowling as Jake opened his mouth. "Kind of like Jan's dad, huh?"

Jan smacked Jake – _hard_ – and Kiet winced as he passed the joint over to Mathilde. "In a way, I guess. I'm just… I pushed for this, and well, they were the reason… and they were so… ugh."

"You may need another hit more than I," Jake joked, but it lacked the usual pep in his tone. Jan nodded.

"Just finish it, I can roll another one." Jan grabbed the plastic bag from under the scarf he set aside and Mathilde sighed loudly. "So, maybe he's in trouble, and maybe he's not. What are you planning on doing?"

Mathilde spoke first. "Kick ass." Kiet elbowed her as he reached for the joint and she pouted. "I don't know. This may be too over our heads for just us two. Svea will want to help too, but…"

"What is the snot-nosed brat…?" Jan's mouth clamped shut the moment he saw Mathilde glare. "Oh, forgot, you're friends."

"Yeah, we are." Mathilde glared, challenging Jan to quip back at her. Jan said nothing. "But, child abuse is so hard when you're as old as he is. By the teens, it's like… people expect you to fight back."

" _If_ he is abused, that still doesn't change a damn thing, whether he's six or sixteen." Jan's comment took both Kiet and Mathilde by surprised. "I may hate the little shit, but I would rather break his legs for him being an asshole than have his parents do it because they hate who he is. It doesn't matter. Abuse is abuse."

"That was the smartest thing you _ever_ said, Janny," Mathilde sneered. "Listen, if you two will help, that's great…"

"I think you need to give it a day," Jake quietly mumbled. "Like, if he's not here tomorrow… call in the troops."

Mathilde nodded. "I like the sound of that."

Kiet frowned. "But what if…"

"Just keep trying to get ahold of him," Jan commanded. "Tomorrow morning, we'll cut classes if needed. Like I said, if anybody kills him, it's going to be _me_."

Mathilde smiled and embraced Kiet, who nervously chuckled at Jan's statement.

 **x x x**

Lukas didn't know how he ended up in situations where he heard things he had no business hearing, but he did.

He had entered the computer lab, printing a poem off for his English class when the door flew open. The lab was empty and he froze when he saw Traian's familiar strawberry blond hair. He ducked behind the printer and prayed they hadn't spotted him.

"Ridiculous. Did you _see_ that bullshit?"

"I wasn't in class with you, Ray," Traian told his dark haired girlfriend. "Arthur says you were pissed off. Something about a grade?" Raya scoffed and Lukas could hear her rolling her eyes. He held his breath.

"Lukas Thomassen got an A on the chem exam, and I bet you he didn't study at all."

He _glanced_ at the material, thank you very much. Lukas rolled his eyes, because Raya had always been competitive in nature. She was a friend, yes, but Lukas figured she wouldn't hang around them had she not been dating Traian.

"What'd you get?" Traian asked.

"A damn _B_! And the teacher had the gull to bring up how Lukas is slated to graduate first in the class and all the scholarships he'll get! How is that fair?" Raya shouted. "I worked my ass off. I _work_ my ass off! And I'm gonna be second!"

"Lukas is just naturally smart, I guess." Traian sighed loudly, adding, "And, he probably is just full of useless knowledge considering how hard he studied and worked last year. He even took summer classes, Raya."

"That's because he was too drunk to pass first semester! Which, by the way, is _another_ reason why…!"

"Is this why you helped Alfred?"

Traian's question hung in the air. The room got hotter and Lukas swore he was going to die from lack of oxygen, trying so hard not to make the slightest sound. "At first, no. At first, I didn't even know _what_ he wanted. I just did it because it was fifty bucks, and Valentine's Day was around the corner."

Traian let out a quiet 'aww,' and Raya sighed. "And yeah, then after that, it was for the money and the fact Lukas was in trouble. I thought this was my one-up… and now he's off scotch free."

"Raya…" Traian paused. "That is _super_ fucked up."

"Okay, so I'm psycho and jealous." Lukas began to inch away from the printer as Traian sat down at a computer. "It's hard when you watch someone fuck up and stumble and do nothing and they have everything handed to them."

"But in the end, you can afford college. Lu… he can't even afford a car payment."

Lukas stood up and bolted to the exit on the other side of the printer, towards the classroom. Arthur stood outside the door, raising an eyebrow as Lukas bolted into him.

"Hey Lu, you good?" Arthur asked. Lukas shook his head and Arthur frowned. "Shit. Well, I'm getting ready for early release. Why don't you cut your last, and you can come to my place, we split a cognac, and we vent?"

Lukas huffed. "Yeah, I'd like that _a lot_."

 **x x x**

"Svea, you look disgruntled," Alfred said as she slid into the passenger seat. "It's not a good look."

To be fair, with all the shit that happened and then the fact that Mathilde had come to her, stoned out of her mind, and taped a body mic to her with duct tape was _annoying_ , to say the very least.

Also, her friend could be dead or something, according to Mathilde. That's _always_ fun.

"Just… been thinking…" Svea muttered. "About how you think you can get away with everything, and somehow, you have… and yet, I don't even know _why_ …"

"It's none of your business," Alfred snarled.

"It is," Svea retorted. "Because I was put in the crossfire! I was the one who sat in detention! I almost had _prom_ taken away, and then who would've taken your sorry ass?"

Alfred scowled. "You were one of the casualties along the way," he explained. "It was nothing against you, babe. Or even that psycho Densen girl. Or the nerd. Hell, the stupid little punk lover boy wasn't even the main reason this happened!"

Svea fought off the smirk. _Gotcha_. "So… this was all because of _Erikur_? Who did _nothing_?"

"Jonah knew that I was one of the best basketball players," Alfred grumbled. He launched into a huge rant. "In fact, there was no way he would even _think_ about not starting me! But, then, the day before out season opener, and he says I'm benched…"

Alfred's face scrunched up. "He said I was more brute strength, I wasn't good enough for running the length of the court, and that I was selfish. So, he says he's starting Erikur. And now look at him!"

Svea tried so hard not to laugh. This was unbelievably _petty_. "So, you hired Feliciano and Leon to vandalize the gym because _you_ were… jealous? And mad?"

"Oh no, I did the first round or two." Alfred smirked. "But then, you guys started to get along well. I didn't expect you guys to get along, so I thought… but then it happened, so I went and got Leon, who nobody would _dream_ of suspecting, especially not his best friend."

Alfred tapped his chin. "And then I got Feli, because… again, who would suspect such a caring guy? Raya was easier to recruit after the first round. She's super petty."

 _Hard to believe, I'm sitting next to you_. Svea resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "So, then why is _Timo_ the one taking the fall?"

"Well, he started to intrude on you." Alfred's smirk turned dark. Svea shivered and he inhaled. "I couldn't have that. He pissed me off, and come on, he's just so _easy_ with his track record."

Svea's neutral expression fell. "You are… so disgusting!"

"I guess you would know."

Svea balled her hands into fists. "I'm leaving. I have work!" She opened the door to the car and narrowly missed Alfred's hand reaching out to grab her. She slammed the door and stormed off.

 _At least he was good for something_ …


	39. Fix It Up

the final chapter count when up to 46 because instead of two the one chapter is three parts. oops i guess.

 _ **mega disclaimer**_ , the translations for rosie's insults are basically rosie tells shayla to 'eat shit, cunt' and fufa is like bitch. because the authoress is cuban-american, and rosie is... not cuban... the insults and swears she directs to shayla are colombian (like nobody in my cuban family uses fufa for bitch) so they may be wrong so RIP ME.

 _ **ultra disclaimer**_ , is that rosie is still the best character ever.

fun fact: this whole chapter was 12 pages in word.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Fix It Up_

"You won't believe how great this quality is!"

"Honey, I used it! It's how Jake and I blackmailed the candy store guy into a lifetime supply of jawbreakers!"

Svea smirked as she ejected the tape, handing it over as Mathilde opened the cassette holder, labeled _GET THAT FUCKER ALFRED_. Mathilde gently placed the tape in the case and Svea rolled her eyes. "Have you heard from Timo?" Svea asked.

"Texted him, he's bummed about boarding school, but he said he would rather die than get involved in this," Mathilde complained. She pouted. "And let me guess, Lukas is…"

"A lost cause. He's not even at school today!" Svea exclaimed. "Hey uh… did you talk to Erikur? Or did Kiet? Or has _anybody_?"

Mathilde paled as she opened her locker, tucking the cassette case away into a beanie she had on the top shelf. "No," she simply replied. "Jake's got track practice after school, but Jan, Kiet, and I might go over. You should come too." Svea nodded and wiped her eyes, looking away as Mathilde glanced back at her.

"Yeah, of course…" Svea frowned. "I hope he's okay."

"He's a tough kid," Mathilde stated, but her tone waivered, proving she was faking the confidence she was presenting. "He'll be fine."

"I talked to Feliciano."

The two both relaxed as Svea forced a subject change. "I think… if we expose Alfred, he'll come forward," Svea explained. "Because he'll feel safer. Or something."

"I think Leon would just do it because Leon hates the guy," Mathilde added, snorting at the fact that even his own henchman couldn't stand him. "We're gonna get him. And then, Timo will be back school, and everything will return to normal… kind of."

Svea laughed. "Normal? Like, before or…"

"Hey, sis," Mathilde sneered. "You know, this has been too crazy, and sorry, I'm here to stay!"

 **x x x**

"Rosaliva!"

Rosie rolled her eyes as she entered Shayla's bedroom, forcing a fake smile on her face as she called back, "Yes, Miss Shayla?" Because Rosalva Sepúlveda Díaz may sometimes be a bitch, but not when she was already on thin ice after ruining some fancy dress.

"Somebody is at the front door. It looks like that _boy_."

If Rosie didn't so desperately need this job, she'd make some kind of snippy remark about a love affair, but instead she asked, "Oh, which one? One of Mathilde's friends?"

"Yes," Shayla said with a huff, as if she was a child (Rosie was certain she was). "The _trailer trash_ one. Get rid of him. I don't want him on the property."

"Perhaps something happened to Miss Mathilde," Rosie thought aloud, knowing full well that Shayla would be glad if something had happened. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

"Well, maybe that little slut finally got pregnant…"

" _Come mierda, cuca_ ," Rosie whispered under her breath. Shayla glared and Rosie smiled. "I'll see what I can do, _fufa_."

"Fufa? Is that like a little, uh, pet name?" Shayla snarled.

"It means queen," Rosie quickly replied, walking out of the bedroom as the doorbell rang again. She rushed down the stairs and towards the front door, opening it wide and offering Lukas a smile. "Lukas! How are you?"

"Uh, is… Mathilde…" Lukas stumbled over the words and Rosie took a second to examine his appearance. His clothes seemed ruffled and appeared to have been slept in. His hair was messy, and somewhat greasy, and his skin was flushed. His speech wasn't quite normal.

"Mathilde is at school, where _you_ should be," Rosie replied before Lukas could finish collecting his thoughts. "Oh, geez… Lukas…" She inhaled sharply, and immediately smelt a mixture of alcohol. "Honey, have you been drinking?"

"Not since three…" Lukas hesitated.

"Yesterday afternoon?" Rosie asked.

"This morning." Rosie groaned as she yanked him inside. "Uh, I can…"

"No, no!" Rosie interjected. "You're staying here. I'll get you pajama pants, I think Mathilde has a pair of yours… you shower, and I'll wash these clothes. Go lay down in Mati's room."

Rosie tugged him towards the stairs and Lukas scowled. "But she…" Rosie shook her head, silencing him as they began to trek up the stairs.

"Mathilde would kill me if I didn't take care of you," Rosie commanded. They reached Mathilde's bedroom and Rosie opened a drawer. "Now, here they are!" Rosie tossed the flannel pants at Lukas, explaining, "Put these on. Mathilde's bathroom is right past that door. Just toss the clothes down the laundry chute and I'll get to them."

"Th-thanks."

Rosie winked, walking out of the bedroom as she closed the door behind her. She huffed, walking over to the library and opening the door. She reached across the desk, grabbing the phone and sitting on top of the desk.

She dialed a number quickly, clearing her throat. "Hello? Yes, this is Shayla Densen," Rosie said, her voice raised a few pitches. "Yes, I needed to tell you, Mathilde has an optometrist appointment at… one. So, she'll need to be dismissed early."

Rosie frowned. "Yes, thank you." She hung up and inhaled.

Mathilde was going to have a field day with this.

 **x x x**

"Where's Mathilde?" Svea asked, shifting uncomfortable as Jan glared at her. Kiet smiled, but looked as if he hasn't slept well in nights.

"The code phrase," both boys said and Svea tilted her head. Jan scoffed, muttering something that was probably rude. Kiet, however, was a lot nice.

"Rosie, their maid, called her out of school. They said she had an eye appointment, but it's really whenever Rosie needs to get her out," Kiet explained. "I'm glad you're still coming. You can keep watch or…"

"No," Svea growled. "I'm going in. Jan can keep watch. I'm here for my friend."

"Cute," Jan snickered and Kiet elbowed him. "Whatever, saves me trouble. Let's go. I'm driving."

"We're taking my car!" Kiet protested as the trio began to walk. Jan rolled his eyes, grabbing the keys from Kiet as Svea glanced at the floor. "Jan, I swear… don't fuck up the car. I can't afford another one…"

"Calm down, why do you think I'm this sober?" Jan chided. Svea looked over at him and he smirked. "Princess trusts me, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure," Svea mumbled. Jan chuckled and Kiet rolled his eyes. The rest of the walk and the whole trip to Erikur's house was spent in dead silence. Svea stared out of the window as Kiet would skip various radio stations and Jan hummed along, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.

"So, what exactly were you two planning?" Jan asked as they pulled up to a stoplight. Svea blinked and Kiet turned to him. "I mean, if his parents are that terrible… like, and they're home."

"They wouldn't be," Svea interjected. "His dad works pretty late, and his mom normally has a tea date with the women in her bible study at this time." Jan scoffed.

"Typical middle class white America," he hissed.

"Jan," Kiet deadpanned. "You're white." Jan flipped him off and Kiet sighed. "But you're right. Even if they normally aren't home, they… doesn't mean they won't maybe adjust their schedules."

"So, what's the plan if that happens?" Jan asked.

"They, uh, know me…" Svea muttered. "We run in the same group, almost. They at least have seen me around… maybe I can…"

"Distract them while we break into an open window? Perfect!"

Svea wanted to be mad – she felt as if Jan was taking this as a joke. However, his tone was less taunting and didn't have the usual edge she had heard. She looked over at Kiet, who seemed to have no reaction except a faint smile. She sighed as Jan eyed her from the rearview mirror.

"So what's in it for you?" he asked. Kiet slapped his arm as they turned the corner. Svea's eyes narrowed. "I mean…"

"No, I know _exactly_ what you mean." Svea crossed her arms. "Believe it or not, I do have a soul. I have feelings, and I just so happen to worry about people. It's this thing called empathy." She clicked her tongue, adding, "Something I think you lack."

"Is now the time?" Kiet groaned.

"No, I think this is prime time," Jan sneered. "Since, Little Miss Perfect decided to open her mouth."

"It's just… I don't get you." Svea shrugged at the end. "You're rude. You're mean. You treat your best friends like shit. And somehow, they hang around." Svea wrinkled her nose. "It's none of _my_ business, I guess. But… I _know_ you hate Eri, and you have nothing to benefit from this…"

"Let me tell you something, Miss 'I-Never-Worked-a-Day-in-My-Fucking-Life,'" Jan began. "I think that if _anyone_ knows what may be happening to your friend, it's me. And yeah, I hate him. I think he's twofaced and shallow…"

Jan scowled as Kiet sent him a nasty look. "But," Jan added, sighing in defeat. "He, for some reason, means _something_ to Kiet, and I'm the group big brother and I'm here to look out for everyone. I may not like what or who they do, but they're my friends, and how I express _my_ feelings towards them is between me and them."

"Don't think that's proper grammar…" Kiet said with a smirk as Jan glared. Svea watched Jan reached over to smack him on the side of the head as Kiet shifted away. "I'm just trying to help."

"Tell me what street it is, then, Ki."

Kiet blinked as he pointed to the next street over. "Turn left." Jan did as he was told and Kiet added, "It's that green one on my side, at the end of the block."

"Nasty ass color, these people can't be fucking sane," Jan snarled. "There's no car in the driveway. Garage?"

"Pull over," Svea commanded, unbuckling her seatbelt. "I'll go check." Jan slammed on his breaks as she rocketed forward, hissing in pain as Jan rolled his eyes. "Asshole!"

"Wear a seatbelt." Jan rolled his eyes as Svea glared, opening the car door and jumping out of the car, approaching the green house as she held her breath. She walked up to the white garage door, trying to peer into the window as she went up onto her tiptoes.

"Shit, I'm too…" she breathed out.

"Short?"

She jumped and turned around, exhaling in relief as Kiet and Jan approached her. "Jan's over six feet, he can…" Kiet explained, watching as Jan stepped next to Svea, placing his hands on the window as he peered in, his ankles wobbling as he went onto his toes.

"Empty," Jan confirmed. "No adult is home. Eri doesn't drive?"

"He's fifteen," Svea and Kiet responded in unison. "No school permit."

Svea looked at the two males, saying, "I'll knock on the door."

"They leave the window over the kitchen sink open," Kiet explained. "Jan, come on." Jan rolled his eyes, but followed obediently as Svea held her breath, approaching the front door as she reached for the doorbell.

She rang it twice, inhaling sharply as she watched the window, looking for any signs of movement. She pulled out her phone and rang it again, scrolling through her contacts as she hummed. She reached over and rang it again.

"Erikur, I swear on everything…"

The door flew open and she opened her mouth, but found the words stuck in her throat as Kiet stood in the door. "Is he even here?" Svea asked as she stepped inside.

"Where else would he be?" Kiet snapped. "I'll check his room." Kiet walked away as Svea looked down at her phone. She clicked on Erikur's contact, opening it up and pressing the call button the screen.

Kiet popped his head out from the room, holding up the cell phone as it vibrated. Svea frowned, releasing the breath she had been holding. "No luck?" she asked.

"Nope. And the bathroom is empty." Kiet groaned. "I'll run upstairs, you keep a lookout…" Svea nodded as Kiet walked towards the stairs. "What rooms are upstairs?"

"Another bathroom, parents room… I think an office or a guest room… maybe both?" Svea shrugged after finishing her answer. "Haven't been her a ton…"

"Anywhere else in the house?" Kiet asked.

Svea tapped his chin, looking around as she noted a small door that was hidden in the hallway between the dining room and the living room. "I think they have a basement…"

"It's the Midwest, who doesn't?" Kiet joked. Svea forced herself to laugh as she heard him run up the stairs. She inhaled, walking over to the door and yanking on the handle, opening the door to reveal a staircase that lead to darkness.

"Eri?" Svea called, pulling the light switch, causing the stairs to become illuminated. "Erikur…"

"S-Svea?"

She let out a sigh of relief as the cautious voice called back. "Oh thank fucking _God_! Kiet!"

"Kiet's here too?" Erikur asked.

Svea bolted down the stairs, narrowly faceplanting as she lost her balance over how steep they were. She squinted, the rest of the basement dimly lit. "Eri, is there a light switch?" she asked, feeling around the nearby wall.

"S-Svea, that's you, right?"

She could sense the fear in his voice as she nodded, realizing that she could barely see in front of her, how could he see her nodding? "Yeah, Erikur, it's me!" she confirmed. "Hey, now, about that light…?"

Her hand found a switch and she shivered, flipping it up as a single light bulb came on. She looked at the ceiling, the other two flickering before dying out. "Why are you down…" she began, before her jaw fell open.

Erikur forced a weak smile, and Svea was surprised he could even do _that_. "Erikur, holy _shit_!" She rushed to his side and frowned, running her fingers over the right side of his face, which was bruised and swollen. He snorted.

"Can barely see out of the right eye, anyway. Not doing…" He was cut off by her glare and he gulped.

"What the hell is on your neck?" She ran her fingers over the dark bruises on his neck and gaped. "Holy shit, no. This is not okay. Anything else?"

"Concussion… uh, still? Maybe? I don't know. I'm woozy and shit but…" He shrugged, as if it was normal. "I've kept myself awake."

She ran her hands over a scar on his left arm, shaking her head. "If you think for a minute you can downplay this, you have another thing coming!" she scolded. "I'll have Kiet grab you a shirt." She brushed his right arm and immediately watched him hiss. She examined the arm and her stomach churned. She held back the urge to vomit, but there was something about his right arm that wasn't right.

"I, uh… think… it's broken." Erikur blinked. He looked blank.

"No fucking shit!" she shouted. Footsteps echoed from above and the two froze. Svea turned towards the stairs and Jan stepped forward, with Kiet behind him. Jan froze as Kiet shoved past him, kneeling opposite of Svea.

"You guys didn't break in, did you?" Erikur mumbled, avoiding Kiet's stares. Kiet didn't react, at least not vocally like Svea.

"I did, but Svea technically was let in…" Kiet chuckled as he huffed, looking around the basement. "I can't find anything to make a hard splint with here, so we might have to do something else to keep it stabilized. How are your legs?"

Erikur frowned. "Functional," he replied. "The only thing broken is my arm…" There was an unspoken _I think_ following that, and Svea draped her arm around his shoulder. "What are you…?"

Kiet looked over at Jan. "Jan, I'm gonna need help. You don't look so hot, babe." Kiet placed a hand against his forehead and Erikur flushed. "But… that may just be shock and trauma…" Svea nodded as she watched Erikur finally glance over at Kiet. "Jan's got my car. Do you need the whole backseat or…?"

Jan huffed, walking behind Erikur. "Of course he does. Make the bitch ride bitch, he needs a place…" Jan began.

"I'm fine, I just…" Erikur looked over at Svea. "Svea can ride in the back with me."

"Should we call the hospital?" Svea asked. Kiet shook his head as she stood up and Jan stepped in front of her.

"No, I… Jan, I think that's his bad arm… Svea, grab a towel or a blanket or something," Kiet instructed. "I took CPR and First Aid last summer, so…" Erikur flinched as Jan tried to grab him by his side and waist. "Gentle, Jan… we're just gonna take you to the ER, okay?"

"B-but my parents…" Erikur tried to argue but Kiet shushed him.

"We'll deal with that later. Right now, I'm worried about _you_.

"And if your parents see us, if they show up right now… I'll kill them."

Svea shuddered as she made her way up the stairs. There was something in Jan's voice that made her believe he was serious.

She really hoped Jan meant it.

 **x x x**

"What the hell is going on?" Mathilde shouted as she slammed her bag down onto the living room floor as Rosie flipped through the pages of a book, the television on in the background.

Rosie looked over at the clock. "It's half past two. You're home late. I called for you before one…"

Mathilde ignored her. "You used the code…"

"I've spent most of my day just having a _lovely_ time playing babysitter," Rosie responded. "I thought I was done with that when you were thirteen and finally learned how to use a gas stove…"

"What do you mean?" Mathilde asked. "Shayla's pregnant?"

"If she is, I've seen _the Omen_ , and I know that you just have to kill and exorcize the bitch right away." Rosie snickered at her own joke. "No, uh. I've been dealing with a drunk and upset teenager problem."

Mathilde scowled. "Is this to lecture me about…?"

"Mathilde," Rosie cut her off. "Lukas came over today. He wasn't astoundingly sober and wanted to talk to you. I made him shower and sent him to bed. Then, I made him cocoa, he asked about you, I said you were coming, and he went right back t sleep."

Mathilde stared at Rosie in disbelief. "Rosalva! You let him in the house?"

"He's in your room…"

"And in my damn _room_? What, he's sleeping in my bed now and using my shower?" Rosie grinned sheepishly and Mathilde screamed. "Why? He was the one who wanted _nothing_ to do with me!"

"I think he reacted on raw emotion. The first thing he felt was fear and…" Rosie stopped midway through her thought as she saw Mathilde stomp out of the den, towards the stairs. "For fuck sakes, _m'ija_ , you better calm the hell down before I chain you to a chair! Do _not_ go in there on a warpath, Missy!"

"Bite me!" she shouted. Rosie rolled her eyes and returned to her book as the footsteps faded away.

Mathilde stormed up to her room door. She flung it open, the handle hitting the wall with a thud. "Wake up!" she screamed, her face bright red as Lukas stirred. "Wake up, get some damn clothes on, and get out of my house!"

Lukas blinked as he slowly rose up, rubbing his eyes as Mathilde fumed. She blamed Rosie for this. She said nothing else as Lukas tried to wake himself up and she watched as he stretched. "Where is your fucking shirt?"

"Uh, Rosie… she's…" Lukas yawned, but Mathilde had heard enough. She was _positive_ Rosie let the stupid, handsome ( _not handsome – he's an asshole_ , she reminds herself) teen sleep in her bed without a shirt in hopes her hormones would distract her from the fact Lukas told her she was basically a bad influence and made him drink.

"Well, I'll go get Rosalva, and when she brings your clothes back, you have ten minutes to put them on and leave my house."

"Can we talk?" Lukas said, ignoring Mathilde's demands. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, because the best way to get me to talk to you is to show up at my house drunk…" She snorted. "I thought that you couldn't be around me because I made you drink?"

"Not _exactly_ what I said…" Lukas grumbled.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Mathilde sneered. "I forgot. Us talking is me apologizing for your relapse, in which… I tried to help! I was never the one to force you to drink! Fuck, Lukas! I was there for you!"

Lukas' eyebrows furrowed together. "I know, and that's why I want to say that…"

"I'm not interested," she mocked. Lukas growled as he rose to his feet. "I'm not. You know, I took what you said to heart. When you told me I shouldn't take anyone's shit, and that I don't deserve it… I took that to heart!"

She cackled. "But, of course, I'm suppose to take your shit!"

"I'm here to apologize and talk to you about why I did what I did!" Lukas shouted. "Goddammit, you were all pissed at me because I wouldn't listen to you, and here you are pulling the same shit on me!"

"Yeah, sucks when you're on the receiving end." Mathilde walked over to her closet, tossing her jacket into the laundry hamper inside. She turned back to him, asking, "Are you done here? I would like to take a damn nap."

"Mathilde…" Lukas walked towards her and she groaned, slamming the closet door shut. "Please, there's a reason…"

"And I don't want to hear your theory of how your life is so much better without me and how…"

Lukas, at some point, had gotten close enough to grab both of her arms. She screamed, squirming as she balled her fist up and brought them up, trying to pound and punch his chest. "Okay, stop that!" Lukas shouted. Mathilde pushed him off, using her force to send him flying back. He stopped right before the bed.

"Hands to yourself!" she shouted. "God, you're just like every other guy!"

Lukas frowned. "Am I?"

He did that thing where he just _looked_ at her and she was fumbling over her words. She flushed and even if he was giving her the look and he was shirtless, she was still livid beyond belief. "Yeah! Thinking you can come here to talk it out, that I'll forgive you, and that you can treat me like shit again in three days."

She narrowed her eyes. "I put up with that shit for three years with Jan. I'm not falling for it again. Not with him, not with you… not with anybody!"

"I'm not Jan, Mathilde!" Lukas shouted. "You _know_ I'm not Jan!"

"You've done very little to prove that to me." She crossed her arms. "Build me up, break me down. That's what he did…"

"Mathilde, you never needed anyone to build you up," Lukas said. Mathilde's expression did not soften. "I'm not Jan," he repeated. "I'm not. Not with how I act, not with how I dress… nothing we do is alike."

Mathilde growled, charging forward as she balled her hands back into fists. "Shut _up_! God, you're so…"

Lukas caught her wrists and she groaned. He didn't let go and instead pulled her in. She shoved herself into him, this time knocking him back onto the bed, but this time he kept his grip, taking her with him.

"I told you not to tou–!"

Mathilde should've seen it coming. She really should've. She had seen every romcom ever (or so she would claim), and the moment she felt his hand on the back of her head, she should've said no and choked Lukas, because she wasn't about those romcom clichés.

But, Mathilde let him force their lips together. Lukas had initiated the kiss, and she wasn't sure why she didn't slap him. Instead, she closed her eyes and kissed back, and she hated every damn second of it.

 _Liar_ , she scolded herself. _You're only mad because you're enjoying this…_

She felt her other wrist being released as Lukas right hand came to rest on the small of her back. She realized her head was no longer being held, and in a way, her lips were no longer forced against his. Instead, his hand found his way between them, resting on her breast. She shivered at the touch, before something snapped her attention away from the kiss.

"Fuck!" she screamed, jumping up and falling back, reaching into her pocket as her phone vibrated and rang. Lukas blinked, sitting up as Mathilde shook, looking at the name flashing across the screen. "Svea! Oh thank God you called…!"

Mathilde snapped her mouth shut as Svea's muffled voice reached Lukas' ears. He couldn't make out what she said as Mathilde frowned. "What?" Mathilde asked, jumping to her feet. "No way! Holy shit… I…" Mathilde nodded as Svea's voice waivered. "Uhm, actually… he's… here… I'll… yeah I will…"

Mathilde hung up and inhale. "Mathilde, I…" Lukas began. She growled.

She glared. "I don't want to hear it right now." She walked over to the door, grumbling, "Erikur's in the hospital. Svea says get there… _now_."


	40. Hospital Visit

shrugs shoulders because this is like the last stupid chapter before the ending chapters lmao.

 _ **ultra mega chicken disclaimer**_ , authoress is a social work major, except you know, i'm not sure how criminal justice side of shit works, so that's a thing. also idk how hospitals work, since i haven't been since i was 16. i did take a child welfare and policy class, but a lot of the literature, research, and stuff we talked about was directed for kids under the age of twelve, basically, which in the end is _suuuuuuuper_ helpful for this kind of shit buuuuuuut w/e.

basically i know very little about anything outside my majors. welp, burn me at the stake, guys.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Hospital Visit_

Svea tossed her phone between her hands as she yawned, looking over as Kiet sat down next to her with two cups in his hands, taking a seat next to her. "You get ahold of Mathilde and Lukas?" he asked.

"Yeah, they were… together…" Svea took the cup and brought it to her lips.

Kiet frowned. "And Timo?"

Kiet watched Svea shift uncomfortably as she sighed. "Haven't… called him yet. He'll probably ignore me. I was waiting until Mathilde got here and…" Kiet raised an eyebrow and she frowned. "I should just do it, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah, you really should." Kiet took a sip of his coffee as Svea unlocked her phone. "Besides, by the time he gets here, we'll be able to see him," Kiet explained. "So…"

"I get it," Svea grumbled. She took a sip from her own cup and winced at how bitter the coffee tasted. "I'll be right back." She set the cup down on the table next to her, standing up as she walked over to the door, slipping out into the fresh air. She unlocked her phone, his contact already opened from the previous internal debate she had. She pressed the call button and began to pace, watching a few birds fly over the orange and pink sky.

The phone rang and she inhaled sharply. "He's not even gonna pick up, this is ridiculous," she muttered to herself as she leaned against the wall. "He's gonna see my name and say…"

The ringing stopped and Timo's voice startled her. _"What do you want?"_

Svea gasped and she began to shake. "Timo… hi."

" _I'm hanging up."_

Her eyes went wide. "N-no!" she screamed. "No, I mean… listen, uh… can you come to the hospital?" Svea asked, looking back inside towards the waiting room. Timo said nothing. "It's an emergency."

" _Why should I?"_

"It's Erikur," Svea whispered. "Please, Ti. He needs his friends. You need to come. Please?"

" _Are you there?"_

Svea bit her lip. "Why does that matter to you? Timo, Erikur's in the hospital! You're lucky I'm not calling you from a goddam morgue!"

" _You leave and I'll be there."_

"What the fuck?" Svea shouted. "No, I won't! Eri needs all of us! And if you can't put this stupid little… _thing_ aside for the sake of _our_ friend, then maybe you don't deserve to be here!"

" _Oh, yeah, maybe I don't. You should call Alfred instead."_

"Timo what–!" Svea was cut off by the phone's beeping, signaling that Timo had hung up. She groaned, resisting the urge to throw her phone against the wall, and stormed back inside to the waiting room.

 **x x x**

"Who was that, son?"

Timo groaned and rolled over onto his side. He grumbled, "Don't eavesdrop, Dad. Just go away. Last thing I need is a goddam lecture."

Eino huffed as he walked into the bedroom, sitting at the foot of his bed as Timo tensed up. "Was that the girl?" he asked. Timo groaned and buried his head into his pillow. "Timo, that is no way to talk to a girl, no matter how mad."

"I just…" Timo mumbled into the pillow.

"Speak up, son," Eino scolded. Timo sat up and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"A friend is in the hospital," Timo explained. "And she called but… I can't be around her anymore." Eino watched as Timo shook, biting his lip as Eino nodded his head, tapping his chin as Timo added, "Like, if I see her, I'm gonna lose it. And… even after everything…"

"Timo," Eino whispered. "I know you better than you think. You are my son." Timo rolled his eyes. "I know you have a big heart. And I know you have come a long way…" Eino smirked. "And even if you think you can't be near her, you want to. You probably can be near her, and you're terrified because you don't want to show your true feelings.

"And you want to be there for your friend…" Eino added, "You _need_ to."

Timo inhaled. "But…"

"If you don't go, I'm grounding you even longer. Go see your friend. Go see him, even if the girl is there… you can acknowledge your feelings or ignore them, but you need to see him."

Eino stood up and Timo blinked. "Okay, Pops." Timo stood up and Eino winked.

"Just, don't tell your mother…" Eino gave him a bright, toothy grin. "She'd kill me if she knew I let you leave the house."

 **x x x**

Lukas pushed the door open as Kiet looked away from Mathilde. His eyes narrowed and his hands around the cup in his hand. Jan crossed his arms and glared and Lukas gulped. Svea ran up, embracing him tightly as she whispered, "Oh, good! You made it!"

"What's, uh… what's up?" Lukas asked. Svea shoved him closer to the trio, where the two males seemed to be glaring daggers. "Is he…"

"Surprisingly, he's doing well," Kiet said, very curt. "He didn't have a concussion, thank God. He must've blacked out or forced himself to forget a ton of things about the last couple of days. He had a couple cuts, but nothing like… stab wounds. A few cuts were kind of deep but they were on his stomach and forearms and not cause for concern…"

Lukas watched as Mathilde clenched her fists. Kiet continued, "Lots of bruises, a few broken ribs, and he just out of surgery for his arm. He should be coming to pretty soon, but… we have to wait to see him."

"Why?" Lukas asked. Jan scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Excuse me for being out of the loop."

"The… uh… the police," Svea explained, tightening her grip on his arm. "They wanted to talk to him. They got information for Kiet, Jan, and I, but…" Lukas' eyes went wide and he looked over at Jan, his lips curling into a snarl.

"Oh, _you_ were there?" Lukas spat. "What, just to insult the kid while he's down?"

"I don't have to listen to this," Jan grumbled. Kiet nodded, but Mathilde's gaze snapped up, her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched.

"Oh, like you were even there for Eri!" Mathilde shouted. "You were too busy to even check in on him!"

"Neither were you!" Lukas spat. "In fact, need I remind you what you were doing this afternoon?"

"I was going to be there until you forced me to deal with your sorry ass!"

Kiet opened his mouth, but Mathilde jumped to her feet, sending her palm flying back into his chest. Kiet winced, as Mathilde said, "Can it, Ki! Stay out of this! I cannot _fucking_ believe you have the gull to tell me I'm a shitty friend!"

"I would know," Lukas sneered. "In fact…"

"Stop it right fucking now!"

Svea's voice tore through the nearly empty waiting room. Jan smirked as he put his arm around Kiet, whispering something to his friends. Svea huffed, her face bright red.

"You two are fucking ridiculous! Can we just, for one minute, not make this about _us_ and make this about Eri?" Svea asked. "If you two can't sit here and save face by pretending to like each other, then get the fuck out. I'm not here to play peace keeper, and this is so fucking selfish…!"

Sighing loudly, Mathilde frowned, nodding her head. "Right… I'm sorry, Svea." She looked over at Lukas, who rolled his eyes and turned his back, walking towards the door. "Lukas?"

"I'll be back later." He paused. "Maybe."

Lukas walked out of the waiting room as Svea looked over at Mathilde. She put her arm around Mathilde, who just pulled her into a hug. Jan's smirk turned into a full-fledged grin as he said, "Damn, brat. Way to shut it down."

"Uh, excuse me?"

The group turned as a tall, balding doctor entered the waiting area. "Erikur Steilsson?" They all nodded as he smiled. "He came out from the anesthetic, and he seems to be doing good. The police want to wait until he's a bit more… coherent, but he wants someone there with him… could you?"

"We can," Kiet said. "But, uh, none of us are family…"

"Don't worry about that, I was, uh, filled in on that," the doctor muttered as he tapped a pen against the clipboard. "However, uh, I can't allow all of you back there. Not at once, especially with the police… so…"

"Kiet should do it," Mathilde suggested. "Erikur would want him."

"And I'm guessing you're Kiet?" the doctor asked, turning towards the teen in question. Kiet nodded. "Great. I think he asked about you, but… not sure I understood, he's a bit…woozy. Anyway, you can come with me. I'll let the rest of you know when you can see him."

Kiet nodded, turning to the other three to wave as he followed the old man back to the room.

 **x x x**

Lukas kicked another shoe across the hallway, groaning as his mother stuck her head out from her bedroom. "I swear to God if you do that again, Lukas Kristian!"

"Go to hell!" he spat. Emilie gaped as he froze. "Sorry, I, uh…"

"My room. _Right now_." Emilie disappeared as Lukas inhaled, turning on his heels as he stormed into his mother's room. He grimaced at the opened bottle of vodka on her vanity, watching her sit down on her bed in a huff, crossing her arms. "What crawled up your ass?"

"I had a shit day at school…" Lukas mumbled. "I just wanna go to bed…"

"You didn't go to school," Emilie sneered. Lukas blinked. He must've looked dumbfounded, because Emilie rolled her eyes. "What? Do you think I'm stupid? That I wouldn't find out? They called me, Lu."

"Surprised you even answered," Lukas grumbled. "Fine, I wasn't at school, but it was a shit day."

"What does that mean?" Emilie asked. "The 'surprised I answered' part?"

"Mom, you were blacked out all day yesterday, I'm surprised you're even up now," Lukas said. He motioned to the half-drank handle, adding, "Surprised you're even drinking now!"

"Don't make this about _me_ , Lukas!" Emilie growled.

"But it is!" he screamed. "Mom, it always was! There's a reason I haven't seen my dad in so long! There's a reason I almost flunked out of school freshman year! And you don't care!"

"I do care!" Emilie responded. "Do you think it's easy for me? Lukas, I'm between jobs, and I'm…"

"You're between jobs because you either show up drunk or show up blacked out to work and get fired!" Lukas shouted. "Mom, for the last two years, I've been the adult, and honestly, I was the adult before freshman year!"

Emilie frowned. "You can't be stupid," Lukas grumbled. "You have to know you have a problem mom. A serious problem that not only is hurting you, but me as well. Mom, you go out all the time, and what you don't spend at the bar, you spend on alcohol for the house!"

Emilie gulped as Lukas clenched his fists. "And it's like… you try to put on this façade that you're a dedicated mom but I feel like… that's not the case! I shouldn't be screaming at you because you're a damn alcoholic, but… I should be screaming at you because you don't like my girlfriend or you won't let me go to a party or because I got a bad grade in math and I feel attacked by you or… normal teen stuff, Mom!"

Emilie frowned as she stood up. "We're done here."

"Did you even listen to me?" Lukas asked. "Mom?"

"I said we're done Lukas!" Emilie shouted.

"No, we obviously aren't." Lukas sighed loudly as Emilie stormed over to her vanity, collapsing in the chair. "Mom, come on…"

"What do you want me to say, Lu?" she screeched, her voice cracking.

Lukas wasn't entirely sure what he wanted her to say. He bit his lip as Emilie hung her head in shame. "Mom…" he began. "I'm sorry…"

"Lukas, I'm sorry," she muttered. "I just… it's hard. It's hard because I see you and I see how far you've come and what you've accomplished and how I couldn't help and how I never helped and yet… I see so much of me in you it scares me…"

Emilie frowned. "And I see so much of your dad in you too. And it's not an excuse… or even an explanation… but…" She bit her lip as it quivered and Lukas gulped. "Baby, I'm so sorry… I just…"

"Mom, I…"

"Let me finish!" she shrieked. She cleared her throat. "I just… I guess I kept myself in denial. I didn't want to see you make the same mistakes we did… and…" She folded her hands in her lap. "Baby, I didn't… I shut out the impact my actions had on you… I didn't want to look in this mirror and see how terrible of a mom I was…"

Lukas frowned as Emilie wiped her eyes, tears suddenly falling from them. "Mom, I… I just don't… can you…"

"Honey," she murmured, standing up and walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Honey, Lu… I'm so sorry… and… we can talk more about this… but… I need your support now more than ever…"

Lukas nodded. "Okay, Mom…"

"Now, want to tell me what led to your freak out?" Emilie asked, releasing him from her embrace, squeezing his shoulders. Lukas paled. "Oh, God. Lu, you look like death."

"I made out with Mathilde."

"Oh," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "Did you _just_ make out? Because, Lu, I just… I want you to know I'm thirty-eight years old. I think that's too young to be a grandma, so…"

" _Mom_!" he squealed and she giggled. "No, it's just… I shut her out. And then I tried to get her back. And then… we made out and now she's even angrier at me and we fought in the hospital and…"

" _Hospital_? Honey, this sounds like a bad teen pregnancy movie," Emilie replied. Lukas tried to force a laugh, but his mother's expression was dead serious. "Lukas, why were you at the hospital?"

"A friend of ours… Erikur," he explained. "So I left and came here. Mom, I just wanna fix things so bad…"

"Lukas," Emilie began, stiffening as she tightened her grip even more. "Listen to me. These things will work itself out, always for the better. Do not worry." Lukas nodded and Emilie forced a smile. "Don't force fixing her. I tried that with your father… and it drove him away."

She released him, crossing her arms. "And even then, the real issue is you're sitting here talking to me and you told me a friend of yours is in the fucking hospital? I may not have raised you to the best of my ability, but I think I raised you better than _that_!"

Lukas rolled his eyes. "You did," he muttered. She laughed, leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss against his hair. "Can I have the keys?"

"Absolutely, honey," she replied. "Go on. Go see your friend."

 **x x x**

"I'm itchy."

Erikur shifted uncomfortably as he reached over to his arm, trying to yank the IVs from his arm. Kiet huffed, reaching over to pull his hand away. "Don't, you need those. You're dehydrated. You need the fluids," Kiet commanded. Erikur frowned, lacing his fingers with Kiet's as he pouted. "How are you?"

"I was drilled by a bunch of angry old men," Erikur grumbled. "I feel like shit."

"They just wanted to get all the facts, Eri," Kiet whispered, scooting his chair closer. "I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable. Do you want me to send everyone else home?"

"No, I want to see them," Erikur murmured. "I just… I want a few minutes alone… with you. You can't stay all night, and who knows when I'm getting out of here."

"Doctor said that since you were in better shape than he thought, you'll be out by tomorrow night." Erikur snorted. "But… I'm glad we got to you when he did."

"Mom wouldn't have let him kill me… I think… probably not…" Erikur looked down as his hands began to shake. "There's no excuse for how terrible they are… I know that. I can't stand them. I can't stand how they view me as a mistake, and really, the only reason my mom kept me around was tax purposes, I think…"

Kiet frowned. "We don't have to talk about it, Eri. You shouldn't have to. You just told the cops everything… and besides, you won't have to see them ever again. I won't let you."

"Okay."

The two stayed silent and Kiet squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I feel so fucking bad." Erikur frowned as Kiet adjusted his glasses. "I feel like I pushed you to do this and…"

"Kiet," Erikur interrupted. "I'm sorry. My friends were terrible and rude and I let that influence me and…"

"You had a better reason and I was selfish," Kiet argued. "I had a really attractive guy who wasn't a total asshole and wanted to show him off." Erikur rolled his eyes. "It kind of sucks that he ended up in a hospital and all…"

"I'm still taking you to prom."

Kiet scowled. "Eri, that's in like what? Three? Two days?" he chided. "You're not going. You've got broken ribs."

"Hey, if I was as bad as you think I am, I wouldn't be able to be discharged by tomorrow," Erikur pointed out. "Besides, the ribs aren't that bad. They're only cracked, and my arm is broken, not my legs."

"You're not…" Kiet was cut off by Erikur turning to face him. He leaned over and quickly kissed him. Erikur pulled away and smirked.

"I'll be too high on painkillers to even notice," Erikur said with a chuckle. "I'm taking you. It's your senior prom." Kiet rolled his eyes.

"We'll play it by ear." Kiet leaned over and kissed him again. "How's your eye?"

"Still blurry," Erikur replied. He frowned. "But whatever. You can get the group, tell them to come in…"

Kiet stood up. "You sure you're not too tired?"

Erikur nodded. "Yeah, I wanna see them…" he confirmed.

 **x x x**

"Lukas, you're back!"

Svea perked up and smiled as Lukas walked in. "Sorry," he greeted, rather sheepishly. "Kind of had a meltdown and…" Svea shrugged. Mathilde refused to look at him, tapping her foot rapidly as he cut himself off. "What's up?"

"He woke up about an hour ago. The cops left about ten minutes ago. Kiet's with him now. He'll let us know what he feels like doing." Svea hummed in thought, adding, "Glad you came back. I think he'll be glad to see you."

"I hope so," Lukas grumbled, taking a seat across from them. "Where's Jan?"

"Jan went home," Mathilde snapped. "Why does that matter?"

"Thought maybe he'd stick around to see how Eri is doing, is all." Svea sent Lukas a dirty look and he inhaled nervously. "I mean, he did kind of help him and all." Mathilde scoffed and Svea elbowed her quickly.

"No, it's just us three and Kiet…" Svea mumbled.

"Did you call Timo at all?" Mathilde asked. Svea nodded. "Guess he, uh…"

"Nope," Svea replied, refusing to let Mathilde finished her thought. "Maybe he'll come on his own time, but…" Svea shrugged and Lukas sighed. The three sat in an uncomfortable silence, with Mathilde checking her phone periodically. The automatic doors to the waiting room opened up and the group looked up. Svea dropped the magazine in her hands and Lukas blinked.

Timo removed his jacket, tossing it over onto a chair as he rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, is it too late?" Timo asked. Mathilde smirked and jumped up, running over to hug her friend as Lukas waved.

"N-no, it's not." Svea looked down. "We're waiting on…"

"Me?"

Kiet appeared from down the hall and smirked. "Eri wants to see you guys, but probably make it short. I want him to get some rest." Mathilde rolled her eyes and led Timo towards Kiet. "Don't roll your eyes at me!"

The group made their way back to Erikur's room. A phone began to ring and Kiet fished his phone from his pocket. "It's my mom, I'll be right back." He disappeared back down the hall as Svea pushed the door open, flying into the room as Erikur jumped, startled at the sudden noise.

"Oh my God! Erikur!" she screamed, running over to embrace him. "I was so fucking terrified!"

"I wasn't that bad," Erikur protested, giving her a small smile as she pulled away, cupping both sides of his face. "Svea…!"

"I cannot believe this shit!" Timo shouted, sitting down in the chair next to the bed. "What's going to happen?"

"Uh," Erikur stumbled over the words, looking down. "Well, I, uh…"

"I don't think he wants to talk about it, Ti." Mathilde approached the opposite side of the bed, leaning in to ruffle his hair. "Can I sign your cast, dude?" she asked, poking the cast on his arm as he nodded. "Sweet! I get to sign it first."

Lukas hung back, staying quiet as the group chatted about various things. The door opened and Kiet stepped in. He looked visibly shaken, which made Lukas uneasy. "What's wrong?" he whispered, trying to keep the group from noticing the sudden entrance.

"My mom called…"

"Yeah, we know, but… what did she say?" Lukas asked. Kiet frowned, looking over at Erikur as he caught Kiet's gaze. Erikur crossed his arms and glared as Kiet looked away.

"Kiettisuk," Erikur hissed. "What's wrong? Don't hide it."

"Uh, my mom called me," Kiet repeated. "She, uh… she got a call from uh, a woman named Margret…" Erikur scowled as Kiet nodded. "Yeah, uh, Eri's mom."

"Why did she call Kat?" Mathilde asked.

"Mom wouldn't say, but… she says it may be a smart idea if we don't take him in." Kiet frowned, looking over at Erikur. "You know my mom adores you, but… they would probably…"

"Look for me there, right," Erikur agreed, shaking his head. "What is my mom even trying to do?"

"Who the fuck cares?" Timo shouted. "We gotta find you a new home! It's like _Oliver and Company_ , but like… humans."

"Have you even seen that movie?" Lukas snickered. Timo shrugged.

"I can't take him…" Svea frowned as she spoke. "I wish, but… we don't have a place for him, and Dad wouldn't want a guy living with us."

"Oh, same, my dad would lose it," Mathilde concurred. "I mean, we have the space, but…"

"Seen your home life, not impressed." Kiet rolled his eyes as Erikur busted into hysterics. Everyone gaped as Erikur stopped laughing. "Am I not allowed to laugh?"

"Any home life is…!" Svea was interrupted.

"That's why it's funny!" Erikur exclaimed.

Timo shrugged. "We don't have an open room… and well, if I had been shipped out sooner, you could've but…" Timo shook his head.

Lukas stepped forward, putting a hand on Timo's shoulder. "I think… I think I can do it." Erikur frowned as Lukas gulped. "We'd share a room for now. I mean, we have a basement that can be a bedroom for one of us if we work to reorganize it. And uh, my mom… she might not mind."

"I don't know, Lu…" Erikur hesistated.

"Let me talk to my mom," Lukas insisted. "And then let her meet you. You've got really no other options…" Kiet nodded, looking at Erikur as he sighed in defeat. "I'll talk to her when I get home. I'll let you know."

"Thanks," Erikur muttered. The conversation shifted in topic immediately, and the group put on the façade that all was right in the group.

 **x x x**

"Timo, wait!" Svea shouted, running after him as he approached his car. "Uh, listen… I just… why?" she asked. Timo sighed loudly, turning to face Svea as she panted, her hands on her knees. "You said…"

"My friendship with Erikur is important and it was unfair to take my anger at you out on him." Timo glared at her, but it lacked its usual venom. "To be fair, Princess, this is the only time I will say you were more mature than me. God, if _only_ you were this selfless always."

Svea huffed. "You must've been dying to sass me in the hospital. What, did Mathilde tell you I threatened her and Lukas?"

"No, she didn't," Timo sneered. "But to be fair, I'm only sassing you because I'm frustrated." Svea sighed as Timo watched her take a step back. "I didn't want to come not because I hate you."

"That doesn't make sense," Svea scolded.

"I don't hate you, even if I _really_ should," Timo continued, ignoring her criticism. "I didn't come because I was afraid to be around you, and I thought it was because of my temper…" Timo looked away, running his hands through his hair. "And it's not that…"

"You don't hate me but you don't want to be around me?" Svea scoffed. "Your logic is flawed."

"I just don't know how to deal with my emotions and feelings!" Timo shouted. Svea blinked. "And it's not the angry kind! Svea, I just… I felt like I was gut punched when I found out about… _the others_ …" Timo sighed. "So I said shit I didn't mean. I said the nastiest shit I could because I wanted you to feel the way I felt… and I wanted to make you hurt like I did…"

Timo paused.

"But, I was wrong to be jealous. We weren't dating, and you weren't mine, so why did I feel so possessive?"

"Timo, I…"

Svea's hands began to shake as she watched him look up at her. He looked as if he was waiting for her to say something. She was angry, because on one hand he said some really nasty shit to her and she wasn't one who forgave easily. On the other hand, he looked so damn vulnerable and all she wanted was _him_ and…

Oh. _Oh_. _Oh fucking shit_.

She wanted him and he wanted her and this was really fucked up because… she couldn't even begin to think. Mutual pining and she was too busy with Alfred."

"I'm sorry…" She gasped and turned her back. Timo gaped. "I just… can't… I can't." Because he didn't deserve her, or she didn't deserve him or _something_ stupid. She couldn't think of an excuse. There was no excuse. She was afraid and angry and didn't have time for this.

"I'm out," Timo snarled. "Should've fucking known. Whatever your little 'plan' is, I'm not helping. Fuck…"

Svea didn't look back and Timo said nothing else.

 **x x x**

"Timo Elias!" Mathilde shouted, damn near kicking down the door to his room as he groaned. "What is this bullshit that you aren't helping clear your own goddam name?"

"I told you I refuse to be part of this shit anymore… especially if Svea is involved!" Timo stood up, walking over to the doorway as he pushed Mathilde out. "Leave." Mathilde gasped, faking offense as she shook her head.

"No fucking way!" Mathilde exclaimed. "I'm not letting you and your petty ass teen hormones sit here and mope! Timo, you have _no_ idea how good this plan is!"

"I'm sure it's fantastic, but I'm not…!" Timo paused, his eyes narrowing. "Petty ass teen hormones?" he repeated. Mathilde nodded, shrugging her shoulders as he clenched his fists. "Mathilde, what the fuck?"

"You're mad because you still have a _major_ boner for Svea," Mathilde explained. "You always had one, since that first detention." Timo groaned and stepped back, grabbing his head and burying his face in his hands. "And the fact you're giving up because of said boner is ridiculous!"

"She has Alfred…" Timo said through his fingers. "Fuck, Mathilde! She doesn't need me. She has some perfect little jock who may be the biggest asshole ever but whatever." Mathilde gagged as he finished his sentence. "Fuck, Mathilde! I don't wanna be around that!"

"She's _using_ Alfred!" Mathilde shouted. "Timo, babe, listen! This is ridiculous! She would most likely be with you in a heartbeat. Like, I'm about ninety-two percent sure on that."

"What's ridiculous is how irrational Lukas has made you!" Timo shouted. "You've been moping over him for like, days now! Maybe weeks!"

"I'm not letting Lukas dictate my life!" Mathilde snapped.

"Are you going to prom?"

Mathilde frowned and looked down. Timo snorted and stepped towards her again. "Yeah," he sneered. "Thought so. I'm done with your shit." He pushed her back out the door and slammed the door. He huffed, leaning against the door as he heard her sputter from the other side.

Timo closed his eyes and walked back to his bed.

It wasn't worth it, he decided. It just wasn't.


	41. The Five's Last Stand

emilie is a good mom. kinda. just kinda.

this was suppose to be up yesterday well fuck. oops i did it again. so you get a double update today.

FILLER CHAPTER WOO!

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _The Five's Last Stand_

"Do not make that poor boy take the cot!"

Emilie stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips as Lukas sighed, nodding as Erikur sat down on his bed. "Yes, _Mother_ ," Lukas barked as Erikur let out a quiet chuckle. "Anything else?"

"Funny," Emilie sneered. "Now, Erikur, I want you to know if you need anything, ask." Emilie disappeared from the room and Erikur's smile fell as Lukas set up the cot in the center of the bedroom.

"You told her, didn't you?" Erikur grumbled.

Lukas nodded. "She wouldn't have agreed had she not known," Lukas retorted. "You know, it's not your fault…"

"I'm a fifteen year old boy who couldn't fight back." Erikur huffed. Lukas frowned.

"Eri, how long had… _that_ been going on?" Lukas asked. Erikur paled and looked down at his lap, mumbling to himself. "Erikur, how long?"

"My parents resent me," he mumbled. "It got bad after my tenth birthday…"

"So, you dealt with that for… almost six years." Lukas counted the years on his fingers. "I don't think you're weak. I think you were just terrified on what could happen. You could've been killed, for all we know…"

"I _really_ don't want to think about it," Erikur mumbled. "Like, at all…" Lukas nodded as Erikur laid back on the bed, humming in thought. "Hey, Lu? What's up with you guys? You all like, hate each other."

"I don't hate anyone, Mathilde hates me!" Lukas shouted. He was defensive and Erikur rolled his eyes. "You know, never mind. We just all had a falling out. It's not worth even talking about… it's not getting fixed."

"I… didn't say Mathilde _specifically_ ," Erikur muttered. He hid the smirk behind his hand as Lukas huffed. "But, uh, Timo and Svea are so hot-and-cold and you two were practically dating…"

"Since _when_?" Lukas snapped. Erikur turned his head and glared. His glance made Lukas uneasy and he shifted. "I don't see it. Besides, she was all like… trying to get over Jan and I don't date."

"You would've if it was her," Erikur chuckled. Lukas rolled his eyes. "And she was so clearly over Jan."

"Shut up," Lukas groaned. "It doesn't matter. She'll want to move across country before she even thinks about being anywhere near me… I've never seen anyone react the way she does after you ma…"

Erikur's raised an eyebrow and wow, Lukas realized he was really good at just moving one singular brow. Lukas turns bright red. "I kissed her." Lukas glanced back over at Erikur. Erikur's expression did not change. "…okay, we made out." Erikur smirked. "And then we fought and screamed at each other because I fucked up and got mad when she wouldn't talk to me after I pissed her off and…"

"Cool, so," Erikur began. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," Lukas said, with no emotion in his voice. "I don't want to force something that isn't going to happen."

Erikur smirked. "I think you forgot who I'm dating. Lukas, Kiet knows _everything_ about Mathilde," he explained. "And she may seem down-to-earth, but that girl is anything but simple."

"What do you mean?"

Erikur sat up. "Lukas Thomassen, I am going to help you win the girl back… or just in general."

 **x x x**

"Do you think a third brownie is too much?"

"Aren't you already blitzed outta your mind?"

Mathilde giggles as Jan groaned loudly. "Maybe!" she practically sang out. "But I'm having fun. Let me have fun." She pouted, crossing her arms as she hugged the pillow closer to her chest. "I can't believe… I'm missing my first prom."

"Kiet missed his first prom," Jan pointed out.

"Because his date stood him up. God, we got trashed that night…" Mathilde recollected, smiling fondly at the memory of Kiet having to explain to his mother why his tux was covered in mud and whiskey. "Those were simpler times…"

"Yeah, before Jake got involved with the Brat…" Jan mused.

"Before you and Lien," Mathilde added. Jan frowned as Mathilde giggled. Her whole body felt fuzzy. "You two are gonna get married!" she shrieked before busting into a giggle fit.

"Thilde." Jan's voice was emotionless and curt. She looked over at him as he shifted uncomfortably. "Do you regret like, whatever we had?"

"Absolutely not!" Mathilde responded. "Jan, I had the biggest crush on you forever. In fact, I was really upset when you asked Lien out instead of me…" Jan hummed in thought and she shrugged. "You were my first."

"Your first? I'm flattered, Thilde."

"My only," she clarified.

"Funny," he mumbled. "I slept with you because like… I liked you but I was too shy to ask you out. I'm sure Lien told you I was a mess when I asked her out. Almost threw up on her really nice booties or whatever…"

Mathilde blinked. "You liked me?" she asked.

"Of course, Thilde, you're gorgeous." Mathilde turned pink as he twiddled his thumbs. "I sometimes feel bad because I'm really happy with Li. Lien is just… she's something else, but I sometimes think about like what we could've been like…"

Mathilde hummed thoughtfully. "Do you regret not asking me out?" she finally asked.

"Sometimes," he admitted. "I guess that's why I just… couldn't stand Lukas." He paused and looked over at her. "Do you regret not dating me?" he asked her. Mathilde stared up at the spinning ceiling.

She had kind of wondered what would've happened if they stopped being stupid teens and actually just dated. She huffed. She had always found Jan brooding and mysterious and when you got to know him, he was the biggest softie she had ever met. Totally her type.

Not the quiet, nerdy, bookworm type. Not like Lukas Thomassen at all.

Her blood began to boil and the entire chill vibe she had was leaving her body. As much as she hated him (or said she did), she still felt some sort of attraction. If she had been with Jan, she wouldn't have gotten tutored (which kept Shayla and her dad off her case – win), and she wouldn't have gotten to know Lukas. She bit her lip.

"No," she finally replied. "We would've been a shit couple." Jan nodded his head, looking off into space thoughtfully. "I mean, and also, you wouldn't be happy with Lien and I wouldn't have…"

"You wouldn't have had all that drama with Lukas."

Mathilde shrugged. "I wouldn't have even been his friend, and I don't regret that. I don't regret the good times we have… and we wouldn't have made out yesterday, so…"

Jan's expression remained unchanged. "You really like him, huh?"

She blinked, looking away. As much as she wanted to scream yes she did, she shook her head. "It's not that simple."

 **x x x**

Timo walked into his kitchen and yawned, looking at the clock on the wall as he shook his head, running a hand through his messy bedhead. "Timo! Are you up?" his sister screeched from the living room.

"Yeah, Venny!" he called, walking over to the fridge. "What's up, doll?" he asked, opening the door and pulling out a gallon of milk and opening it up. Venla entered the kitchen and scowled.

"Timomo, that's for the family!" she shrieked. "And Eddy is here!"

"Eddy!" Timo shouted as the tall, lanky blond with a bowl cut Eduard swore was modern entered the kitchen. He winced as Timo waved, eyeing the milk jug like it had personally offended him. "What's up?" Timo asked as Venla scurried away.

"I've been recruited," Eduard announced. Timo blinked.

"Wait, you're not eighteen," Timo said, slowly as he tried to process what his friend had meant. Eduard shook his head as Timo took a large gulp of the milk.

"Mathilde told me you're being a stubborn little dick."

Timo scowled, damn near spitting his milk out. He swallowed, wiping the corner of his mouth as Eduard took a seat at the table. He adjusted his glasses, watching as Timo brought the jug back to his lips.

"Timo, this isn't like you," Eduard finally said. "You've always been a fighter. You've never admitted defeat, even if you probably should've." Timo rolled his eyes and stopped drink. "Why don't you fucking stand up for yourself?"

Timo walked over to the table, setting the jug down and pulling out a chair. "Because that means I don't…" Timo began to say as he sat down.

Eduard narrowed his eyes. "It's about Svea, right?" Timo groaned, his head hitting the table. "Listen, Ti, that's stupid. Do it for yourself! Fuck everyone!"

"I think that would definitely end in a sexually transmitted disease…" Timo forced a weak smile against the old, wooden table. Eduard groaned. "I kid, of course."

"I guess what I'm trying to say," Eduard explained, "is that you are Timo Elias Väinämöinen. You never quit. You spent your whole life walking around with a chip on your shoulder. You always act like you have something to prove."

"Your point is?" Timo asked.

"Timo, you quit. You stopped being a fighter and turned into a moody teenager. That's not the Timo we all know," Eduard explained. "Stand up for yourself, and then, maybe, you can stand up for others…"

Eduard stood up. "Also, I may have gotten wind of something very, uh… detrimental to you…" Timo blinked, sitting straight up. "Look, as far as I know, it's the rumor mill. But… prom's tomorrow, and…"

"Oh yeah, the prom I can't go to," Timo grumbled. "Thanks for reminding me. You're going with Mariya, right? Anya's… sister, cousin… thing?"

"That's what brings me here," Eduard muttered. "Mariya told me that a little bird told her that someone told Willie you were plotting some ultimate revenge at prom, and that I was in on it… and not just me…"

Timo gasped. "Oh shit…"

"I believe Alfred is planning something that will end horribly for you, Svea, Mathilde, Lukas, and Erikur…"

 **x x x**

"Lukas, uh… you have a visitor…"

Lukas looked up from the book in his hand as Erikur shifted, pulling the blanket back around his shoulders as he rolled over, turning his back to Lukas. "It's late," Lukas said, looking over at Emilie as she stood in the doorway. She shrugged.

"It's Traian…"

Lukas stood up and slammed his book onto the cot. Emilie blinked, shaking her head. "Oh… okay…" she muttered, rolling her eyes as he pushed past her, storming towards the front door. "So volatile."

Lukas reached the front door. He yanked it open, letting it slam against the wall as he panted, glaring at Traian. Traian gulped as Lukas growled. "Leave," he commanded. "I'm not going to even talk to you." Traian frowned.

"What did _I_ fucking do?"

Lukas scoffed as he crossed his arms. "You know exactly what you did," Lukas sneered. "I cannot believe you sat there and let Raya help Alfred and let her frame me… because what? She was jealous that I do better than her in school?"

Traian's eyes widened. He looked away, muttering, "So, you knew…"

"I heard every word the other day."

Traian still refused to meet Lukas' eyes and Lukas smirked. "Now, I'm busy. So…"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Traian blurted out. "I should've told you. I should've stopped Raya. I just… I never thought…"

"You know what, Traian?" Lukas growled, clenching his fists. "You were my best friend, and so was everyone else in our group. But then, you guys sold me out. I don't even know if it was just Raya who had those opinions on me or not, but I think I've made up my mind."

Traian watched Lukas take a step back. "You can tell everyone that I'm not bothering with your friendship anymore. I'm pissed. Raya won't get what's coming to her, but that won't make up for the fact my _friends_ lied to me and hid the fact that she was trying to help frame me."

Lukas grabbed the door and Traian opened his mouth the protest. Lukas smirked, exclaiming, "As far as I'm concerned, you guys mean nothing to me, and it makes sense. I meant nothing to you either."

Lukas slammed the door and inhaled sharply. He turned around as Emilie entered the living room, frowning as he looked away. "Was that about the gym thing?"

"Yeah," Lukas mumbled. "Didn't know you even remembered that was a thing."

"I kind of do," Emilie admitted. "Not well. You just had a lot of detentions to serve or something…" Emilie winced as Lukas rolled his eyes. "I know, I know."

"Did you really mean what you said?"

Emilie smirked, crossing her arms. "I guess we'll see now, won't we?" Lukas snorted as he walked towards his mom, playfully bumping into her as he walked back to his room.

 **x x x**

"So, you wanna see your corsage?" Alfred asked, walking into his bedroom with a tiny plastic container with a flower resting gently inside.

"Not really," Svea muttered, trying not to move too much as he sat next to her on the bed. Mathilde's taping abilities weren't _awful_ , but it did itch, and she wasn't about to try and irritate herself more. Alfred glared as she added, "I'd rather it be a surprise, you know?"

"You're acting like a class act bitch."

Svea rolled her eyes as Alfred inched closer, resting a hand on her thigh. She groaned. "I'm not in the mood," she grumbled. Alfred gripped her thigh tighter and she swatted his hand away.

"Is this because I got your little boyfriend suspended?' Alfred snickered as Svea turned, slapping his chest as hard she could. "Oh, whatever. You're just being sensitive."

"Of course. Why _exactly_ did you decide to…?"

"I already told you," Alfred deadpanned. "You two seemed so _buddy-buddy_ that I just couldn't even let that little thing slide." He chuckled. "And, quite frankly, he's so easy to frame."

"That was uncool." Svea frowned as Alfred scooted closer. He looked at her, examining her as he tried to form the words. "You're so lucky that…!"

"Nobody would believe you," Alfred said. "Unless, you had some kind of proof. Feliciano and Leon aren't going to flip on me. Leon's got too much social stock to lose and I think there would be trouble in paradise for him…"

Alfred snorted. "As for Feli… well, he's screwed either way. I should've sold him out days ago, but then you'd be out for blood and I just don't wanna deal with _that_ mess." Svea huffed, hitting him again as he rolled his eyes.

"I don't wanna go to prom with you anymore."

"You don't mean that," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. She pulled back, but he grabbed her arm, pulling her closer. He set her onto his lap. Svea paled, trying to pull away quickly as he smirked. "What?"

"Nothing, I just I want to go home."

"Why?" Alfred pressed himself against Svea and her breath hitched. Alfred's expression changed. "What the hell…?"

She jumped up but he pulled her back into the bed, pining her beneath him. His hand slipped up her shirt and he scowled. "Oh… this better not be what I think it is, Svea!"

Svea stuttered, trying to form explanations as she tried to escape his grasp. He pushed her shirt up, revealing the microphone taped to her pale skin. He laughed, ripping it off with little to no care about if it hurt Svea. "Oh, baby. You're kidding? Where did you find this?"

Svea pushed him off. "Alfred… give it back." She held out her hand. He shook his head, snapping the small recorder in half as he frowned.

"No can do, Svea," Alfred said, tossing it over his shoulder. "Wow, you are something else. You're trying to set me up. Who would've thought…" He tsk'd loudly. "You can leave now. I'm not happy, but to be fair, it's not your fault…"

Svea hissed, "It's not over." She collected her things and left the bedroom, slamming the door. Alfred shook his head, walking over to his desk and grabbing his cellphone.

"No, Svea, I guess it's really not…"


	42. Prom Night, Part I

Rosie still is the best character.

This was the major introduction to this three part saga. Imagine that.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Prom Night, Part I_

"Oh, _m'ija_ , this dress is too gorgeous not to wear!" Rosie screamed, opening her bedroom door as Mathilde jumped.

Rosie pulled out what looked like a big, red dress that Mathilde was shocked Rosie would even own. "What is _that_?" she asked the maid as Rosie smirked, unzipping the garment bag that held the dress. "Rosie, why do you have some princess dress?"

"Oh, Thilde, this was for my _quinceañera_ when I was living in Chile," Rosie explained. "It's some fancy American brand. I got it off the black market from my _tía_." She giggled and Mathilde reached out to touch the beading on the bodice of the high neck dress. "It's a corset too."

"There's more tulle on the skirt than I think any fabric store has." Mathilde made a face as she drew her hand away. "Rosie, I told you I'm not going. Why do you think just because you pull out some princess gown that my mind will change?"

"Oh, Mathilde…" Rosie laughed. "Come on, try it on, for me?"

"You were probably about five inches taller than I was when you were fifteen, and I'm not wearing heels," she snapped at Rosie. Rosie shook her head.

"Mathilde, I worked as a seamstress before I came to America for a while, I can alter the dress," Rosie said. "Come on. I'm never gonna have children, so this is a big day for me."

"I'll look like the dress is trying to eat me!"

"Just put on the damn dress!"

Mathilde jumped as a male voice jumped into the conversation. She looked over at the door and sighed in relief as Kiet waved, Erikur popped his head out from around the corner. "Oh, I must've missed the doorbell," Rosie said. "Hello, boys."

"It's okay, Mr. Densen got it," Kiet explained. "Glad he kind of remembered me…"

"What did he call you?" Mathilde asked.

Kiet chuckled. "The, uh, little queer boy that you hung around."

Mathilde snorted as Kiet took a seat next to her and Erikur stepped into the room. He walked over, reaching out to grab the dress with his left hand as he sighed. "Thilde, this is nice. You can't pass up a free dress like this."

"Why are you even going?" she asked Erikur, eyeing his cast as he turned to face her, rolling his arms. "You haven't been out of the hospital that long and to be fair…" Erikur scowled and Mathilde snapped her mouth shut. She looked over at Kiet, who just shrugged in response, obviously not about to fight that battle.

"Your friends think it's dumb too!" Rosie chimed in. "Come on, when I was your age, I went stag to things all the time!"

"But I bet you didn't _leave_ stag," Mathilde snickered. Rosie turned bright red, cursing herself for telling Mathilde her wild youth stories. "Forget it, babes, this girl is staying home in bed."

"You _have_ to go!" Kiet shouted. Mathilde was taken aback by his enthusiasm. "I mean… uh… it's my last prom… and I want to go with my friends!" he explained. "And it sucks that you're moping over a boy."

"The Mathilde I know wouldn't do that." Rosie handed the dress to Erikur, who looked flustered as he tried to shift it over to his good hand. Rosie sat on the end of the bed, looking at Mathilde. "You need to go. I mean it. You never know? Maybe you can channel a bit of _la Pantera_ and you may not end up leaving stag."

Rosie winked as Mathilde sighed loudly. "I don't have a say, do I?"

Rosie smirked. "Not a chance in hell, Kiddo."

"Fine!" she stood up. "I guess I'll shower. No free will here whatsoever." She walked over to her bathroom, slamming the door shut as Erikur smirked, handing the dress back to Rosie as she sighed.

"Drama queen," Rosie sneered.

"Don't worry," Kiet said, "when she sees what we have planned for her, she'll lose the attitude."

 **x x x**

Mr. Willie hated chaperoning prom. He hated anybody who chaperoned with him. He hated being around teenagers who just let their hormones run wild and he had to see at least three couples try to fornicate on the dance floor and he _hated_ every second of prom.

"Mr. Willie?"

Rubbing his temples, he turned away from the juniors trying to finish decorating the gymnasium as he sighed loudly. "Alfred, if this about the music list, forget it. I already have a list of preapproved songs to play, and I'm not budging. And no, 'Get Low' is not on the list."

"Actually, it's not… about that." Alfred frowned as he looked around. "Listen… it's about… Timo Väinämöinen…"

"He's banned from the school premises…" Mr. Willie sighed. Alfred opened his mouth, but closed it. Alfred looked around and Mr. Willie quirked an eyebrow. He motioned to Alfred. They left the busy gymnasium and stepped into the empty hall. "What's going on, Alfred?

"I overheard my prom date, Svea Oxenstierna, talking to Timo and Mathilde Densen the other day." Mr. Willie scowled as Alfred continued on with his story. "It sounded like… they were planning some big event. Something that sounded like a homage to _Carrie_ or something. I'm not sure. I didn't catch all of it…"

Mr. Willie licked his lips. "Are you sure?" he asked. "The teachers know Väinämöinen is banned. How can he get in?"

"It sounds like he has Svea, Mathilde, Lukas, and Erikur in on this." Alfred frowned. "Erikur is coming because his boyfriend is a senior." Mr. Willie remembered hearing about that incident. "I just… they're trying to ruin everyone's night."

"Well, I can call the parents… well, some of them, and have the chaperones keep an eye on them. I can call the cops is Väinämöinen shows up." Mr. Willie looked away from Alfred. "Is it just those five?"

"Who else would it be?" Alfred said, trying to hide his smirk.

 **x x x**

" _Mathilde!"_

Mathilde groaned as Rosie combed a knot from her hair. "Jesus, what? I'm suffering here, Svea, and I can't focus on something major and getting my hair ripped out…"

" _Alfred found the body recorder mic thing… he broke it."_

Mathilde jumped up. "What?" she screamed. "He did not! What did he do?"

" _Kicked me out of the house… then told me we're still going to prom. He just feels betrayed."_

Mathilde could tell Svea was uneasy and _very_ upset by this development. "Do you think he's going to hurt you?" she asked. She heard Svea sigh and could practically hear the violent head shaking to reject the notion.

" _I'm afraid he's gonna pull something, Mathilde."_

"Okay, like… on _us_?" she asked. Rosie scowled as Mathilde waved her off. "Because he already got Timo, so… that's _really_ shitty if he's gonna try to kick him while he's fucking down."

" _Do you have that tape?"_ Svea asked.

"Sure do," Mathilde confirmed. "It's in my vanity drawer."

" _Bring it. Tonight. He's done for."_

Mathilde reached for her vanity drawer. "Svea is out for fucking blood. Jesus. You're really sick of him, aren't you? You gonna kick his ass?"

" _Maybe,"_ she answered. Mathilde smirked, hoping that Svea really would.

 **x x x**

"This was a _terrible_ idea!"

Mathilde handed Erikur a small cassette tape. Kiet scowled as she shook her head. "I can't do this. Give that to Svea when you see her. Tell her I'm really sorry…" She turned to Kiet. "And don't look at me like that!"

"You did not get all dolled up and have a dress altered just to not go in, Mathilde!" Kiet shouted. "Besides, you _have_ to now!" Mathilde scoffed. "Okay, whatever. You don't _have_ to."

Jan and Lien pulled up next to the trio and quickly got out of the car. "What's going on?" Jan asked.

"She's protesting," Kiet explained. Jan rolled his eyes and Lien nodded.

"Yeah, prom is a stupid social construct but I paid too much money for a stupid dress to waste it," Lien said, walking up next to Mathilde. "Besides, it can't be too bad. Dancing is cool. And someone always gets tossed for spiking the punch bowl. Maybe they'll get a bit in before they get kicked out."

"I just… I _can't_ go in."

"Why?" Lien asked. "Oh. I see. It's because of, uh, Luca…"

"Lukas," Mathilde corrected.

Lien sent Kiet a knowing look. Mathilde quirked a brow as Lien cleared her throat. "Okay, whatever, the point everyone is trying to make is…" she began, only to be cut off by someone else.

"Is Mathilde really not going to go to prom over a _boy_? The world really is ending."

Timo walked up to the group and everyone's jaws dropped in shock. He waved, as Mathilde sputtered. Erikur huffed, asking, "Aren't you banned?" Timo nodded, slinging his arm around Mathilde as Erikur snorted. "So…?"

"Look, we got trouble, Sporto," Timo explained. "I drove her as fast as I could. My parents got a call from Willie."

Mathilde gulped. "Uh oh," she whispered. Erikur caught it and turned to her. "Svea said… well, her and I had been using a body mic to spy on Alfred and he caught her using it…"

"Yeah, well, then I'm guessing he's pissy about that," Timo grumbled. "Because Willie said _someone_ tipped him off that you two, Svea, and Lukas were going to help me do something big tonight. Some _Carrie_ like shit."

"Pigs blood on the prom queen?" Mathilde asked. "Because I think that Mariya is winning and she's too nice to get that treatment."

"Not sure, but if they called my parents, they called your guys'." Erikur immediately paled as Timo spoke. Kiet grabbed his hand, bringing the back of it up to his mouth and giving it a small kiss.

"Where's Svea?" Erikur asked.

"With…" Mathilde stopped herself as Timo glared, spitting on the ground. "She's here tonight. It's so weird. Lukas isn't here. So like, that should automatically be a giveaway…"

Lien coughed and Mathilde and Timo looked at her. She laughed as Erikur jumped in. "That's… they _can't_ call my mom, can they?"

"I thought she was slapped with some child endangerment shit?" Timo asked. Erikur shrugged. "She's not in prison?"

"Neither of them are, they posted bond," Mathilde reminded Timo. "If they are here, we'll deal with that. If not… no problem!" she exclaimed. "But… we have to get Alfred. We have to bust him."

Erikur pulled the tape from his pocket and smirked. "So, he doesn't know about this?"

Mathilde nodded. "Not a fucking clue. Now… how do we get Timo in?"

Jan cracked his knuckles. "Leave that to me, Thilde."


	43. Prom Night, Part Ii

_**music notes**_ , the song that Lukas sings (which as much as i wanted it to be is NOT can't take my eyes off of you) is "Out of My League" by Fitz and the Tantrum, except I imagined it to sound more or less like the cover version by Ryan Sill and Jake Allen on YouTube. The song that Kiet and Erikur are talking about is "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. Because have you EVER been to a dance where they didn't play "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith? Thought so.

the song was just a random choice. i knew i wanted a scene like that for a while, but i wasn't sure what song to even use. i didn't wanna completely rip of 10 Things (that may be for a later fic), but I didn't wanna use the "Can't Help Falling In Love" song either, which was for a while the only option. The lyrics fit well enough, I think. Shrugs. If I could change it, maybe, but I won't muse on it.

shrugs shoulders forever because i have nothing to say.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Prom Night, Part II_

"Are you okay?" Kiet whispered as Erikur downed another cup of punch. Erikur nodded, leaning closer to hear Kiet over the loud bass of the hip hop song that was currently playing. "You look good." Erikur flushed as Kiet grinned. "I'm glad you came. Are you sure you're up to it?"

"I'm glad I came now," Erikur whispered back. "Not only do I get to slap the shit out of Alfred, I get to spend time with you." Erikur watched as Kiet smiled, leaning closer as Erikur laughed. Something vibrated against his leg and Erikur groaned, pulling his phone out.

"Who is it?" Kiet asked.

"Lukas," Erikur said. "He's backstage right now. Did you tell Jan?"

"Jan's got it worked out. Chaperones will be so busy with that whole mess that they won't notice him sneaking Timo in through the back door." Kiet kissed Erikur's cheek as Erikur stood up. "Going to help Lukas?"

"Go get Mathilde in position," Erikur said. "I'll be right back." Kiet nodded as Erikur helped him to his feet. Kiet smirked, going up onto his toes to kiss Erikur before quickly dashing into the crowd of teens. Erikur inhaled sharply, making his way in the opposite direction, towards the stairs that led up to the back of the stage.

Kiet reached Lien and Mathilde, who were chatting up against the wall of the gymnasium as Jan stood next to Lien, scowling. Kiet winked at Jan, who smirked. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom."

"Whatever," Lien snorted, looking at Kiet who just grinned. "God, Kiet. You look like you just… well, I don't wanna _think_ about it." She nudged him. Kiet rolled his eyes, turning towards Mathilde.

"Let's dance, girls!"

"Why?" Mathilde asked. "Where's Eri?"

"He's, uh, he went to the bathroom too." Mathilde scowled as Kiet grabbed her and Lien by the hands, pulling them towards the center. "It doesn't matter," he said. "He'll be back. Why? Do you want a dance with my boyfriend?"

"No, I…" Mathilde frowned. "You two are up to something. You and Eri." She turned to Lien. "And you! You're so obviously in on something!"

"True," Lien deadpanned. Kiet elbowed her side and she shrugged. "No point in keeping it a secret now!" she exclaimed, growling as Kiet glared at her. "She's gonna find out soon."

"Find out what?" Mathilde asked. "Someone better tell me what the fuck is going on right the fuck now or…"

The music cut off as everyone around them began to exclaim. Lien smirked. "You're about to find out right now, Mati." The DJ looked confused as he tried to start up his music again, but to no avail. The speakers crackled a bit as everyone looked around. Mathilde looked over as Kiet leaned into Lien, whispering something as she giggled quietly.

 _forty days and forty nights  
i waited for a girl like you to come and save my life_

"Who is _singing_?" someone behind Mathilde asked as they looked over at the stage. The curtains slowly opened just enough to reveal someone standing with his back to the audience, dressed in flannel and jeans as the teens around them began to chuckle and stare in awe. A backing track started up and Mathilde frowned.

 _recall the days i waited for you  
you know the ones who said, 'i'd never find someone like you.'_

"No fucking way," Mathilde hissed, grabbing Kiet and pulling him close to her. "That's not…" She looked over at him and saw the smirk that answered all her question. The teen turned around and Mathilde rolled her eyes. "This has your name written all over it, Kiet."

"Right?" Lien sneered. "He's seen _10 Things I Hate About You_ one too many times."

Kiet flushed and Lukas looked over at the trio. Mathilde huffed, turning bright pink as she looked away. " _But you were out of my league_ , _all the things I believed_ …" Lukas sang out as he walked across the stage, as if he was some pop star at a concert. Everyone awh'd and laughed, clapping as Lien rested her chin against Mathilde's shoulder.

"He means it," she whispered. "He likes you enough to do this. Don't think he'd do it normally."

" _You were just the right kind_ …" Lukas grinned as Mathilde finally looked up, cracking a half-smile as Lien giggled in her ear. " _Yeah, you were more than just a dream_ …"

The backing track began to fade and everyone looked around, groaning loudly as the track cut off, leaving Lukas to finish the chorus acappella. Mathilde looked over as Willie glared, with the math and French teacher walking toward the stage.

"Oh shit," she whispered. "Guys…"

"Fuck," Kiet inhaled. "Okay, come on, they'll be running around in the back." Lien nodded as they ran around to the other backstage entrance, the sound of a microphone falling to the ground echoing in the gym as the crowd busted out into cheers and raucous laughter. Lien whistled as Jan ran up to them.

"I shoved Timo in a pantry," he said loudly, panting as Lien slapped him and shushed him.

"Uhm… okay… we'll figure this out." Kiet looked around. Lukas flung the curtains open as Kiet waved him over. Lien smirked, pulling Jan close to her as Mathilde glanced at the pair.

"We got this. Scram, the French teacher almost made the Olympic track team," Lien said with a smirk, turning to Jan. Kiet nodded, and yanked Lukas forward, pushing him down the stairs towards the back door that led to the school's basement. Mathilde followed, looking at the pair before giving them a thumbs up.

"Uhm, what are you planning…?" Jan asked.

"Shut up and kiss me," Lien commanded. "And put your hand up the slit of my dress. Willie will be so distracted by us trying to procreate, he'll forget the real reason he came back here."

Jan's eyes sparkled. "I think I'm gonna marry you, Lien Trinh Nguyen."

 **x x x**

"Did you see that?"

Kiet walked back upstairs to find Erikur at the top of the stairway smiling down at him. Kiet nodded. "Where's Willie and the other two teachers that ran back there?"

"Saw Jan and Lien and gave them a warning, but said he's still on the lookout for Lukas, since he 'looked suspicious.' He wasn't 'dressed for prom.'" Erikur rolled his eyes. "Where's Thilde?"

"Down with Lukas. She said she had to fill him in since he's been MIA," Kiet muttered with a smirk. He doubted that. Erikur held out his hand as Kiet reached the top of the stairs. "Anything suspicious yet?"

"Besides the shit Lukas pulled that we _may_ have been involved in? Nope," Erikur answered. "Maybe we can sit back and enjoy prom for a bit. Svea said that she's gonna go find Mathilde and Lukas and then we'll expose his ass."

Kiet smiled at Erikur as he led him back into the gym, muttering, "Oh, we're not attending prom to expose assholes and play matchmaker?"

Erikur rolled his eyes as he pulled Kiet towards the dance floor. "I owe you a dance. More like seven dances," he explained. The beats from a song by the Weekend played loudly as Kiet shrugged.

"I don't mind. After all, this is a lot more entertaining than last year," Kiet explained.

"You didn't go," Erikur shouted over the music.

"I know," Kiet simply said.

The two laughed as the music drew to a close and the DJ laughed into his microphone. "Alright, kids! Let's slow it down a bit, what do you say?" A few chords began to play through the speakers as Erikur rolled his eyes.

"I hate this song," he grumbled. Kiet frowned slightly and Erikur looked over at him. "It's such a stereotypical high school slow dance song," he explained. Kiet shrugged, still looking a bit dejected. "What?"

"I don't know, I like it," Kiet muttered. Erikur could barely hear him over the vocals of the lead singer of Aerosmith crooning out the first verse as Kiet added, "I always loved this song. Mom used to play it for me, and I always thought…"

Kiet looked away and turned bright red. Erikur tilted his head, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer. "What?" he whispered, resting his right hand on his waist to the best of his ability, trying to ignore how awkward the cast made things. Kiet smiled, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"Well, like, when I got married, I always wanted it to be my first dance," he admitted. Erikur resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the cliché option his boyfriend admitted to wanting.

"That's cool," he simply said as they began to move in time with the music. "Your mom sings?"

"She plays guitar too," Kiet added. Erikur pulled Kiet closer as the music seemed to grow louder, and to avoid bumping into anyone around them. "You're still judging me."

"Oh," Erikur chuckled. "Hell yeah. Kind of a basic song, even for _you_." Kiet rolled his eyes. "But, I guess since your mom sang it to you and all, it makes up for it." Kiet smiled, wrapping his arms around Erikur's neck tighter. "Whatever, I'm still gonna judge."

"Just because you're some indie loving piece of shit…"

Erikur leaned down and kissed Kiet, half-in the moment of the song, half-in an attempt to shut him up. Kiet smirked, closing his eyes as they stopped moving. Erikur pulled away as the song faded out and Kiet smiled.

"Hey, you know…" Kiet began. Erikur paled, turning Kiet around as Mr. Willie approached them. "Hi, sir," Kiet squeaked out. "Uhm, is this about… because we won't…"

"Uh, Erikur?" he asked, as if he was unsure as to who Erikur was. Erikur clenched Kiet's shoulder as he nodded. "Your, uh… your mom is here." Erikur froze and Kiet looked back at him, before turning around to face Willie again.

"He's not going _near_ that woman!" Kiet protested. Mr. Willie opened his mouth to protest but Kiet shook his head. "Absolutely not!" Erikur nodded as his hand dropped down towards Kiet's. "And if he has to, you need to call my mother _and_ the cops, because as far as I know, she's not allowed to be around him!"

"No!" Erikur shouted. Kiet blinked. "No, I'll… I'll go talk to her." Kiet turned around, shaking his head as he screamed 'no!' at Erikur. Erikur leaned down. "It'll be okay…"

"She put you in a hospital!" Kiet shouted.

"Trust me." Kiet scowled, but allowed Erikur to pull him away as they followed Willie into the hallway. Erikur stopped in the doorway, watching as his mother turned around from examining a trophy case, snorting as she examined the two.

"Mrs. Steilsson," Mr. Willie spoke. "Uh, I do have to say that the reaction I received from them when I said you were here was… disturbing… and there are legal facts I was oblivious to… and that I will have to ask you leave…"

"You can't tell me I'm not allowed to see my son," she spat. Erikur frowned and Kiet tightened his grip on his hand. "Well, I see you're still going through your little _phase_. Disgusting."

"Go home," Erikur hissed. "I will have him call the cops. The only reason I came to see you is because I _know_ you," he stated. "And I know you're too chicken shit to do anything to me by yourself."

"How _dare_ you?" she shouted. "First, you go behind my back with… _him_! And then you insult me! You ungrateful little…!"

"And for that, you had dad do _this_!" He held up his right arm, showing off his cast. "Trust me, I haven't forgot. I'm only here because you can either apologize to me or I can get you arrested again."

"Why would I apologize to _you_ , when you're the disgusting, backstabbing son?"

Erikur smirked. "Hit me then." Kiet snapped his head towards Erikur as Mr. Willie gaped. His mother sputtered, before Erikur said, "You're chicken shit. You never fought. You always had Dad do it for you. You're a wicked, evil woman, but you never wanted blood on your hands…"

He waved her off as she stepped back. "Get lost. You're not suppose to be around me. Mr. Willie?" he asked. His mother's eyes narrowed as Mr. Willie stepped forward.

"Oh, you're going to let him be a misbehaved little shit?" she asked. "I bet his _boyfriend_ is in on whatever he's planning on doing!"

"Yeah, probably," Kiet said. His voice was monotone and held little emotion. Erikur snorted as Mr. Willie frowned. "Mr. Willie, what exactly is she blabbering about?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Now, excuse us. I must go speak with Mrs. Steilsson in my office… uh, go back and enjoy prom… but please… keep your public displays of affection to a minimum."

Erikur smirked, pulling Kiet into a side embrace. "It's gonna be hard to keep my _hand_ to myself." His mother's eyes narrowed and he laughed, leading Kiet away from her.

"You are a fucking idiot," Kiet snapped.

"She never would hit me. She knew if they ever got caught, she'd get off easier if my blood wasn't on her hands. I knew she was just here to yell. She won't hit or stab or whatever…"

Kiet rolled his eyes as Erikur shrugged in return. There was a quiet vibrating sound and Erikur reached into his pocket. He looked down at his phone and frowned.

"What's up?" Kiet asked as another slow song started up.

"Rain check on this dance," Erikur whispered. "Svea says backstage, ASAP."

 **x x x**

Svea huffed as she made her way down the dark hallway, pressing her hand against the wall as she held up the skirt of her dress with the other. "Of course, they're not backstage, when I fucking asked…" she grumbled, crossing her arms as her skirt fell back to the ground.

She walked across the back part of the stage, the sounds of music muted by the heavy curtain as she walked towards the center. She examined a big, wooden wardrobe piece from the fall production of the _Narnia_ play and yawned. She was lucky to break free of Alfred for the time being, as he had seemed sour and was incredibly rude all night.

Turning her back to the wardrobe, she hummed quietly to herself as the door opened, a hand grabbing her shoulder. She screamed, covering her mouth as she turned around, slapping the hand away as she realized that the black hooded figure was Timo. Timo pulled down his hood, frowning as Svea huffed.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "Jesus, don't scare me like that!"

"Oh, joy, I thought you were Jan. He told me to wait here and he'll be back…" Timo huffed. "And now, I'm stuck with _you_!" he snapped. "You know, you're lucky I'm even _here_!"

"Yeah, because last I heard, you were going to be arrested if you came near the school." Svea frowned as Timo scoffed. "Wait!" she said, grabbing his arm as he stepped out of the wardrobe, trying to storm off. "Can we talk?"

"No." Timo huffed. "I told you what I needed to say and you made it _pretty_ clear…" Svea shook her head.

"No! I panicked," she admitted. Timo rolled his eyes. "I mean… it doesn't change how I acted. What I did. But…" Svea bit he lips. "Timo, listen. I should've been honest with you about… things." Timo shot her a dirty look and she gulped. "But… I…"

She gulped, adverting her gaze as she looked down at the ground. "Are you gonna explain, or…?" he asked, shaking her hand from his arm. "Because I don't have time. You don't have time."

"Timo, I…" Svea stepped back. "Timo, you know what I come from. My dad struggles financially, and he always wants to… provide and help me and I always feel so bad because I feel like we just never have enough, so that's where I picked up the job at the diner…"

Timo crossed his arms. "Does this story have a point?"

Svea nodded. "And so… when I started dating Alfred…" Svea inhaled. "I like, he knew and he held it against me and so we fell short on money and… well…" Svea bit her lip. "He offered and… after that…"

Timo blinked, his expression briefly softening. "What the _hell_ are you babbling about now?"

"Timo, I…" Svea hesitated. "Alfred… he paid me to sleep with him… and…"

Timo's eyes narrowed and Svea snapped his mouth shut. "So, that makes you sleeping with him and whoever else _so_ much better. Because they paid you? And it makes me feel even better that it was only because of…"

"Timo, I _really_ like you!" Svea snapped back. "And don't you think that I didn't… it wasn't _about_ money! You're just saying things because you're hurt, and that's not fair to me!" Svea shouted. "You refuse to listen to _me_!"

Timo stood there as Svea huffed. "Timo, you said you were upset because you were jealous. Because you liked me," she continued on. "And the other guys meant nothing. And Alfred still means nothing. He never really meant anything, even when we were together.

"And… and it pisses me off! You sacrificed prom because of me and you wouldn't talk to me and… it sucks, yeah. I had to go with the absolute worst male ever," Svea said with a dark laugh. "But… I just want you to listen and talk and _work_ with me, Timo!"

Timo's gaze fell to the floor at some point. Svea inhaled, trying to calm herself down when she realized she was practically _vibrating_ in anger. "I'm sorry… I just… I should have been upfront with you, but… I'm not taking your shit anymore."

"I…" Timo licked his lips, stepping closer. "You like me too, huh?"

Her expression softened. "Wasn't it obvious?" she asked. Timo shook his head.

"You had better options," Timo grumbled, turning slightly pink. "You know… I'm really sorry about what I said. I just… I felt rejected and I handled it… uh, pretty bad." Svea shrugged. Timo glanced at her finally, a small smile on his lips.

"The dress looks good," he whispered. "Didn't know it was a two piece. I like this, uh… off-the-shoulders thing…." Svea rolled her eyes as another slow song played quietly in the background. "Blue looks good on you."

"You did say it was too pretty for me not to be asked," Svea responded. Timo placed his hands on her hips, his thumbs brushing over a bit of her exposed midriff.

Timo chuckled. "I meant you were too pretty to not be asked, but… the dress is pretty too." He shrugged. "So, where are the others?"

"I texted them," she explained. "I just… not sure where they are…"

"Oh, Svea, at this rate, they're being removed from this dance."

Svea jumped and Timo pulled away. Timo scowled as Svea turned around. "What the hell do you want, Alfred?"

 **x x x**

Mathilde peered into the dark hallway, humming as she opened the door to the art room. "I'm surprised they left this door unlocked," she whispered. "But… looks like no one is down here so…"

She turned to Lukas, who just kept on staring, a bemused look on his face. "What?" she asked.

"Uh, the dress… it's a…" Lukas cleared his throat. "It looks like it's swallowing you…"

Mathilde groaned and sat down on the ground, the skirt expanding around her as if tulle threw up. Lukas chuckled as Mathilde shot him a dirty look. "Well, thanks. You know, fuck off."

Lukas knelt down next to her as Mathilde huffed. "I think you look good, just… not the dress I imagined you in," Lukas admitted. Mathilde rolled her eye.

Mathilde said, "I always imagined my prom would be spent on the dance floor with a dapper young man in a tux, not… sitting in the art room with some kid looking like he raided Kurt Cobain's closet."

The two chuckled and Lukas sat down, crossing his legs as he folded his hands together, resting them on his ankles. He hummed quietly, before piping up, "Uhm… about the…"

"Your little PDA thing you planned?" Mathilde asked. "How did so many people know and I didn't? And why the _fuck_ did you think…!"

"I just went off of Kiet's suggestions," Lukas snapped back. "I worked hard to get that together. You could appreciate the effort." Mathilde huffed as Lukas shrugged his shoulders. "Or you know, you can be a bitch about it."

"Yeah, well," she mumbled, playing with the tulle of her dress. "It _was_ cute. Even if it was really fucking stupid…" She blushed and Lukas smirked. "But, uh… that doesn't change what happened."

Lukas shifted on the floor, so that he was now sitting in front of Mathilde. "I… listen, I have my shit to work through," he said, running his hands over the skirt as Mathilde frowned. "And I'm by no means… okay. But… you weren't the issue. I don't deal with things well…"

Mathilde shot him a look that told him ' _I knew that_ ' as Lukas scowled. "Okay, hold on. Jesus, you try to apologize…"

Mathilde smirked. "You were saying?"

Lukas sighed. "And it's because of how I deal with things… I panicked. You just… you were so outspoken and involved and you stood up for me and… your life was so _normal_ , compared to mine. At least you had Rosie and…"

"Blah, blah, fucking _blah_ ," Mathilde interrupted. "Please, get to the point."

"I'm not good enough for you."

Mathilde snorted. Lukas frowned. "It's true. Mathilde, I'm… I got a lot f baggage to work through. And my temper can be… _meh_ , and sometimes I say things without thinking and I run my mouth," Lukas explained. "And you're always so composed and you _care_ about people and you give your all for everyone and I'm selfish and…"

Mathilde leaned over, pressing a finger against his lips. "Shush," she whispered. "I can't change you. You have serious fucking issues, Lu. Like… major. And it's not like I'm a licensed psychiatrist…" Lukas nodded. "But," she added, "I don't like that stupid 'I'm not good enough for you' excuse. It makes me feel like you're making decisions for _me_."

"Well," Lukas muttered. "I'm afraid if I don't say it you'll date me and then it'll just…"

"I want to make that decision myself," Mathilde reiterated. "Like I said, I'm not going to be able to make all your problems go away. You have your vices and your own things, and ultimately, you decide on those. You decide how you handle that."

She leaned closer. "Like I decide who is good enough for me and who isn't good enough." She took his hands in hers. "You and I have a lot of work to do for us. Like, a lot, a lot of work. But… that's the best part. You won't be alone, right? And neither will I!"

Lukas sighed. "Does that mean you forgive me?"

Mathilde's smile faded. "I mean, you essentially told me I was so bad I drove you to drink your weight in wine and vodka."

"It wasn't you, it was stupid of me to blame you."

"Yeah, but that's kind of an issue…" Mathilde looked down at their hands. "I'm afraid if something goes wrong, I'm gonna take the blame. I don't wanna be a scape goat, you know?" Lukas shook his head.

"No, you shouldn't have to be," he agreed. "And… well, it was stupid of me to treat you as such. Mathilde, I… fuck… you deserve better. That's what I was saying."

"You brought my math grade up, defended me against my bitter friend, supported me when my stepmom started in on me, drove drunk to try and apologize to me, and to top it off, you embarrassed yourself in front of the school."

"Only to make it up to you."

Mathilde flashed Lukas the brightest smile he had ever seen. "It _was_ cute. But… you can't do something like that _every_ time you fuck up!"

Lukas leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers, smirking. "So, you _did_ like it, huh?" he asked. Mathilde flushed.

"I never _said_ …"

Lukas cupped her face, pulling her in for a quick kiss. Mathilde rolled her eyes and leaned back, crossing her arms. "Okay, you _definitely_ can't do that every time we have an argument, either!"

"Whatever. Come on, let's get you off the floor," Lukas said. "I have a feeling _that_ is a two people job…"

"In a minute," she whispered, leaning forward and resting her hands on his shoulders. Lukas smirked as he pulled her forward. Mathilde laughed against his mouth as the door opened behind them. Mathilde turned around and Erikur smirked.

"Glad it worked, but this little reunion is getting cut short," he declared. "Alfred's backstage with Svea and Timo."

"What?" Lukas asked, jumping to his feet as he leaned over, grabbing Mathilde's hands as he helped her up.

"Oh yeah, he's about to pull some shit," Erikur said. "I saw him interrupt their little moment and last I saw was Timo about to go on the offensive. If we don't get upstairs _soon_ , Timo's got a spot lined up for him in juvenile hall…"

"And we all could face expulsion," Lukas whispered.

Mathilde huffed. "Let's go!"


	44. Prom Night, Part III

the let-down conclusion. things just didn't work for this part. sorry. there are reasons, to be explained later.

i'd say more but my mood tanked and i almost didn't post this. oops.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Prom Night, Part III_

"Give up, Alfred!"

Timo stepped forward and around Svea, who grimaced as Alfred stepped closer to them. Alfred reached out, grabbing Svea and pulled her towards him. "Oh, it's like you have some taped confession and… wait, no you don't. I broke that."

Svea yanked her arm away, stepped between Alfred and Timo. "Why couldn't you just leave it be, then? You had Willie call our _parents_? Even fucking Erikur's? Oh, you are so disgusting I could…!"

"Careful Svea," Alfred warned. "I told you what you were getting involved in. Now, you _do_ remember what I said to you…"

"I don't care if you tell the school I was your little sex slave anymore," Svea declared. "Go ahead. Do it. Post whatever pictures or videos you have of me! I'm not scared of you…"

"Except maybe don't, because jobs and stuff," Timo muttered under his breath. Alfred laughed as Timo stepped closer to Svea. "I could _kill_ you. Your little minions aren't gonna stay on your side for long, Alfred. In fact…!"

"Oh, can it," Alfred snarled. "All this wouldn't have happened if you had minded your own damn business and stayed away from what _wasn't_ yours. Then maybe Erikur would've taken the fall like planned. But no… you all had to stick your noses where they didn't belong."

"You're not getting away with this," Svea said. "Trust me."

Alfred laughed. "Baby, come on. Don't play dumb with me! Your friends are fucking done for. Lukas is getting tossed for crashing, Erikur's mom is going to drag him out and Mathilde… well, she's got a flask with her name written all over it somewhere around here…"

Alfred grinned. "You're lucky, babe, I can get you out. Just say the words."

"I'd rather die," Svea scoffed. "And you underestimate us." Alfred frowned, reaching for Svea again. Timo stepped in, grabbing his arm and twisting it. Alfred hissed, bringing his knee up to Timo's stomach as Timo gagged, releasing Alfred.

"Oh, it's on, Väinämöinen."

 **x x x**

"Okay, we need to go to the sound system." Erikur pulled the tape from his pocket, flashing it to Lukas and Mathilde as the three stopped in the dimly lit hallway. "They're going to announce the prom queen and king in thirty minutes."

Lukas glanced down at his phone. "Okay, so… if we get you up there, can you handle the rest." Erikur nodded. "I can grab a microphone… and Mathilde…"

"Mathilde Densen!"

Mathilde jumped, clinging to Lukas as Mr. Willie stormed down the hallway. "And Lukas Thomassen! Oh, you three are up to something!" He stepped in front of them, pulling a flask from his coat jacket.

Mathilde smirked. She always had a fast tongue. "Gee, Mr. Willie, you want _us_ to drink with _you_? I accept." She laughed as Mr. Wilie scowled, rotating it so that she could see the bottom. In big, bold letters, Mathilde's name was written.

"This was by the punch table," Mr. Willie shouted.

"Well, I've been in the basement," Mathilde explained. Lukas nodded. "Lu was there too! That's where Eri found us!" Lukas shot Mathilde a dirty look. "What?" she asked as Erikur pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh… _oh_! Willie won't believe us… if we say… one of us… oh…"

"And the lights come on," Erikur mumbled. Lukas elbowed him as Willie sighed.

"Erikur, I may have sent your mother home, but that doesn't mean…!"

"Mr. Willie! Look!" Mathilde screamed, pointing towards the gym. "Uhm… teenagers! Doing… drugs! And… teenage stuff!"

Mr. Willie tensed up, swatting her hand away. "Tell me what Väinämöinen is doing, and I'll let you off with a suspension." Lukas blinked, looking over as Erikur shifted. "Now, what are you doing?"

Erikur cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir? But how do you _know_ we're doing anything?" Erikur asked. Mathilde leaned forward, looking over as Erikur smirked. "I mean, you have word of mouth… and maybe a misplaced flask and a big display of… affection…" Erikur stepped between the other two teens and the vice-principal as he chuckled nervously.

"Mr. Steilsson, what point are you trying to make?"

"Well, I was just wondering… you know, uh… the school _prides_ itself on fairness and stuff…" Erikur inhaled, forcing a smile.

Lukas blinked and grabbed Mathilde's arm, backing away from Erikur and Mr. Willie slowly. Erikur began to motion wildly, and Mathilde smirked. "Smart kid," she whispered as Lukas led her into the crowded and dark gym, towards the concession area. Lukas huffed, opening the door as they reached the stairs that led up to the stage.

"Knock it off!" someone shouted and the two stormed up the stairs. Lukas growled as he ran over, pulling Alfred off of Timo as Mathilde crossed her arms. "Oh, _now_ you guys show… and Erikur is _where_?"

Mathilde rolled her eyes. "I guess he got caught up in a riveting…" She looked over as Alfred threw a punch towards Lukas, who dodged it. "Timo didn't kill him?"

"Alright, call off the guard dogs." Svea clapped her hands, adding, "It's done, Alfred. Just admit you did it. It's _over_." Lukas crossed his arms, tapping his foot. Timo nodded.

"As if! Don't you see, you guys made it too easy!" he explained. "Everyone knows Timo is the school rebel. The punk. He was just too easy to throw it all on. And, well, with how _obnoxiously_ close you guys were, it was too easy…"

"So what were you planning on doing tonight?" Lukas asked.

"Have you ever seen _Carrie_?" Alfred responded, asking another question. Timo gasped, slapping his face with both hands.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed, obviously faking his shock. "Alfred's gonna use his psychic powers to blow up the gym!"

"Ew, pigs' blood?" Mathilde spat.

"Well, grenadine is more human and harder to wash off," Alfred said with a laugh. Mathilde shook her head. "When Willie goes onto the stage to present prom king and queen… I'd send a bucket of grenadine down, and with you all back here… it'll be an easy way to frame you!"

Alfred frowned. "Except poor Steilsson is gonna miss all the fun, but if he's lucky, I can get his _parents_ up here and…"

"That's it!" Lukas shouted, tackling Alfred and falling into the curtains. Timo ran forward as the two continued to exchange blows. Svea looked up, tugging on Mathilde's skirt as she pointed up.

"Up there!" she whispered. She shifted her skirt around, unbuckling it and tossing it to the side. Mathilde nodded. "I'll go, you get the curtains open!" Mathilde ran towards stage right, untying to ropes as Svea hopped onto a box, climbing up the later towards the rafters, where the bucket was resting. Mathilde yanked the rope, opening the curtain as the music came to an abrupt stop, the whole student body before them gasping. Mathilde inhaled, watching as Willie stormed toward the stage, with a few teachers in tow.

Lukas stood up, wiping his nose as a bit of blood trickled down. Timo ran over, snatching the microphone from the disc jockey, who stared in shock. "Uh, hey everybody!" Timo said into the microphone. "On behalf of myself, Lukas Thomassen, Svea Oxenstierna, Mathilde Densen, and Erikur Steilsson, we're here to make an announcement."

Mr. Willie jumped up onto the stage. "You are _banned_ from school property!" he shouted as Timo took a step back. "What are you demons doing _now_?" he snapped.

"Alfred Jones has been manipulating and lying!"

"Not exactly how I imagined this exposé thing going," Lukas whispered to Mathilde, who stood next to Lukas as Alfred stood up, glaring at Timo as he shouted. "Of course you want to blame someone else!" Alfred motioned towards Lukas and Mathilde. "And _I'm_ the manipulator?" Lukas stepped forward, as if he was about to lunge for Alfred's neck, before Mathilde caught his arm.

"Lukas!" she warned.

Timo cleared his throat. "Alfred did this because he was salty about one thing or another." Timo glared. "And in order to go through with this, he manipulated and paid a variety of characters to help vandalize the gym and keep the blame on us…"

Alfred took a step forward, before Timo's eyes darted to a spot right behind Alfred. He smirked. "Now, uh, Alfred… I'm gonna give you one last chance to admit it."

"Why would I?" he snarled, snatching the microphone away from Timo. "I have you where I want you," he whispered, turning the microphone off. "You'll still be expelled, and your little friends will be in the same boat. And after _this_ humiliation, you can be your little girlfriend is gonna…!"

Lukas snatched the microphone from Alfred, switching it back on. He passed it to Mathilde, who smirked as she turned to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to have the debut of a new prom hit: the 'Alfred Jones caught admitting he's an asshole who did all of this shit on tape!' Brought to you by DJ Steilsson!"

Mathilde waved towards the balcony, where Erikur peered over and waved. The system echoed as there was a bit of a scratchy noise, before Alfred's voice began to echo across the gym, followed by short, curt answers from a female voice that was similar to Svea's.

Willie's eyes widened as the tape continued. Alfred's eyes widened. "I can… that's… she…!" As Alfred tried to protest, a bucket came flying down, landing on Alfred's head as the contents inside slowly seeped out. Mathilde giggled as Lukas jumped back, rolling his eyes as Svea cackled.

As the student body erupted into various screams, gasps, and shrieks of laughter. Mr. Willie approached Timo, grabbing his arm as he dragged him away from Alfred. "What the hell…?" Mr. Willie asked, looking over at Timo. Timo shrugged.

"He really liked the movie _Carrie_ , and was hoping all that grenadine would hit you," he mumbled, motioning to Alfred. "Oh! Well, you… wouldn't believe us, Willie, so the five of us did our own detective work."

Mr. Willie scowled as he released Timo's arm. He motioned to Coach Jonah and the French teacher, who walked onto the stage. "Anything you would like to say, Alfred?"

He bit his lip. "Fine! I did it! I paid Leon, Feliciano, and Raya for help! And there was a good fucking reason!"

"I'm sure there was," snapped Mr. Willie. Mathilde smirked, watching as Svea climbed down from the ladder and walked over to the stage. Mathilde held out her skirt as Svea dropped her heels next to her.

"One minute," Svea said, walking over towards Alfred. She smirked, tapping on his shoulder and drawing his attention away from Willie as she delivered a vicious punch right into the side of his face. "That's for all the shit you did to me!" She punched him again. "And _that_ is for fucking over my friends!"

Svea was yanked away by Lukas, who just smirked at Willie as he decided how to react to Svea's outburst. Mathilde held her skirt back out as Svea adjust her spandex, before finally taking her skirt back and snapping it back on.

Mr. Willie cleared his throat, raising his voice as the recording stopped. "Uhm, well! This has been an _eventful_ prom… everyone gets to enjoy the last twenty minutes…" He turned to Alfred. "And as for _you_ ," he snapped. "My office now. As for you five…"

He scanned the stage, before looing up at Erikur. "Enjoy prom," he said with a sigh, before having Jonah and the French teacher drag Alfred from the stage. "Timo, if you have the chance… I'd like to see you in my office…"


	45. Aftermath

things are resolved kinda...? BUT THERE'S ONE MORE USELESS CHAPTER!

god bless depression and insomnia. this shifts posting the final chapter up to later (like way the fuck later) tonight. i also moved it up because i want to start writing and posting my new project ASAP. I think you guys will like it. There may be details at the end of the next chapter, there may not. Not sure if the next story will be _everyone's_ cup of tea but i'm excited to (kinda) go back to a genre i really like writing for.

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Aftermath_

"I must say," Willie said as he sat down at his desk, looking up at Timo and his parents as he sighed loudly. "I'm very surprised at Timo's perseverance. And perhaps I was quick to accept the blame on him, due to… _previous incidents_ …"

"Oh, baby!" Helmi cried, embracing Timo as she sniffled. "I'm sorry we didn't listen to you!"

"I also am sorry," Mr. Willie declared. "I may have been, a, uhm…"

"Major asshole?" Timo suggested, smirking as Willie glared. His father elbowed him gently. "Uh, sorry…"

Willie's expression softened. "I guess if the shoe fits." He shrugged his shoulders. "And due to the fact Timo was suspended on… false grounds, I guess, I don't mind overturning his expulsion. Would that be good?"

Timo frowned. He looked between his mother, who had finally released him, and his father, who was scowling. "I think they already sent in a check and application for…"

"Of course we want him back here."

Eino's voice made Timo jump as he looked at his father. Eino smirked at his son, placing a hand on his shoulder. "He'll be allowed back as soon as possible, correct?" Mr. Willie nodded. "Perfect. Timo, you're going back on Monday then."

Timo smiled as he nudged his dad. "What about boarding school? Or whatever you were planning?"

"Public's cheaper," his father joked. "Now, thank you for clearing all this up."

"Don't thank me," Mr. Willie admitted, "it was your son and his friends. These kids are smarter than they look."

Eino nodded, looking back at Timo. Helmi wiped her eyes as Eino finally said, "I guess they are." The trio left the office as they passed the Jones family, fussing and yelling in the main office as they left the room, walking into the hallway and out the doors of the school.

"So, son," Eino began. "You really went above and beyond for this." Helmi tugged on his arm and Eino turned, looking back at Timo as their son stared back at the school. Eino frowned, looking at Helmi who cleared her throat.

"Ti?" she asked gently. "Is something wrong? We should go home now." He turned around, forcing a small smile. "Or… is there something wrong…?"

"Uh, no, I just…" Timo paused.

"Son," Eino finally said. "Go back in. You have one last fight left, obviously. We'll see you at home." Helmi blinked, looking back over at Eino as Timo smiled, running back towards the glass doors that led back into the school. Helmi scowled, squeezing her husband's arm too tight.

"What was _that_ about, Eino?" she asked.

Eino shrugged. "He's got some unfinished business, I think. Girl stuff, I think."

Helmi sighed. "I don't get teens."

 **x x x**

"So, you going to post-prom?"

Lukas shook his head as they walked out of the gym. Mathilde nodded. "Yeah, same. I think the original plan was ditch prom, go smoke weed, and listen to the Weekend," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "You know…"

"Mathilde!"

Lukas tensed up as the pair turned around and Jan and Lien stood before them. Kiet and Erikur followed behind. "We're ditching post-prom, yeah?" Jan asked. Mathilde nodded. "Okay, well, Li and I are hungry. We can go to the Inn, grab some breakfast for super late dinner, and then we can head back to your place?"

Mathilde shrugged her shoulders. "You four can go, I'm not… I'm not hungry." She looked over at Lukas.

"Asshole can come too, if that's what you're worried about," Jan deadpanned. Lukas quirked a brow and Jan shrugged. "I mean, it makes sense. He's gonna probably be around a lot now, huh?"

Mathilde flushed and Lukas shrugged. "We'll see," Mathilde replied. "But I'm really not hungry… unless…" She turned to Lukas, who shook his head. "I'll just see you guys at my house," she said as Lien waved to them, dragging Jan off.

Kiet stepped forward, his fingers laced with Erikur's as the couple approached Mathilde and Lukas. "You _sure_ you don't wanna come?" Kiet asked. The pair nodded. "Oh, well, okay!"

"See you later!" Erikur shouted and the two walked away. Mathilde looked over at Lukas, who nodded his head towards the doors leading towards the parking lot.

"Let's walk and talk."

The two made their way out to the back parking lot, toward a lonely beat-up car. Mathilde huffed, looking over at Lukas. "How am I going to fit in the front seat?"

"Eh, we'll figure it out," he responded. He looked over at her and cleared his throat. "We're… _official_?" he asked, biting his lip as she stopped walking, looking over at him with a judgmental stare. "I don't want you to be disappointed in me."

"Lukas, the only thing disappointing me right now is that we aren't at my house, I'm not out of this cake topper dress, and that you _still_ are hung up on that whole 'not good enough' thing." She rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't your dad think…?"

"Who the fuck cares about him?" She rolled her eyes as Lukas shrugged. "Lukas, I told you. I'm making the decision to be your girlfriend. I mean, there are some things my almighty girlfriend powers can't do," she joked, smirking at him. "But… I do want you, and you want me to. And we can help improve each other, I guess, or something along those sorta lines…"

"So an _actual_ healthy and functional relationship?" Lukas asked.

She took his hand in hers. "Just probably a healthy relationship, I can't promise it'll be functional."

 **x x x**

"Sorry your prom was a huge ass shit show," Erikur mumbled as Kiet pulled up to a stoplight. "I mean… sorry this whole semester was one, actually," Erikur admitted. "I'm sure… I didn't make it any easier."

Kiet shrugged. "I don't mind. It was interesting, and I got a boyfriend out of this deal."

"Yeah, boyfriend…" Erikur sighed loudly as Kiet gave him some side-eye. "Ki… uhm, you graduate soon…" Kiet nodded. "And well… I was wondering like what your post-graduation plans were?"

Kiet frowned. "I was wondering when this conversation was going to happen…" He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. Erikur paled. "Uhm, I'm… staying in state. The other schools out of state I applied to were… too expensive, and I basically pay nothing but room and board and books if I stay in state…"

"That's good!" Erikur said, before backtracking. "I mean, uh, the whole not going into debt part…"

"I mean, it's still not… _easy_." Kiet's hands gripped the wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. "I'll be about two hours away, and… well…" He shrugged again. "I don't know if you're up for it."

"Up for a long-distance thing?" Erikur asked. Kiet nodded. "I am."

"You didn't even think about it!"

"Kiet," Erikur scolded. "After what we've been through, and what you have done for me, I think I'm confident that you being barely two hours away is going to be an issue for us. We have all summer, and then the major breaks you have, and then… well, we can work out visits."

"A lot of work," Kiet reminded him.

"Do you not want to?" Erikur snapped.

Kiet shook his head. "No, but… I just wanted to let you know…"

"You've tried this before, haven't you?"

Kiet frowned as they pulled into a parking spot. Kiet turned off the car as Erikur sighed, unbuckling his seatbelt as Kiet said nothing. "Kiet, I'm not like whoever that guy was," Erikur mumbled, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "I'm willing to try. And if it doesn't work out, it doesn't."

Kiet forced a smile. "Let's just take this one day at a time, Eri."

 **x x x**

Timo smiled as he approached the group of girls babbling on about the events of prom. Svea looked up as her friends grew quiet, looking over at Timo as they shushed each other. "Uh, hi," Svea said.

"Uh, not interrupting, am I?" Timo asked.

Svea shook her head. "No, no! Just… trying to figure out rides…" There was a brief pause. "Uh, wanna… talk?"

"I can take her, girls," Timo said, waving off the group. "You doing post-prom?" Svea shook her head. "Why not?"

"I, uh, didn't feel up to it… so, you guys go have fun! I'll see you Monday!" Svea waved to her friends as she grabbed Timo's hands, dragging him out of the gym. "Timo, thanks… you didn't have to."

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Svea sighed as they reached the end of the hallway. "Yeah," she whispered. "I should've been honest. But… I was just terrified because none of the guys I know wanted to date me when Alfred told them… and well…"

"So, you uh, kind of were the walking definition of a prostitute," Timo said, forcing himself to laugh and shrug his shoulders. "Uh, well… that certainly is a first for me…"

Svea frowned. "Did you change your mind then? About me…?"

Timo shrugged his shoulders again. "No, not really. I know you meant well and that because of who it was, it got out of hand and all. And well, listen…" He bit his lip, looking down at her she looked away. "I just want you to know that I _don't_ think less of you. I just want you to not hide shit from me… and to be honest."

Svea nodded her head, looking back up at him as she stepped closer. "Timo, I just… I won't hide anything from you. I know you're different, and… well, like I said, I really like you. You aren't like any other guy I've been with."

His smile fell a bit. "Just… don't… sleep with anyone else, 'kay? If we're going to date, I don't… that's…"

"Timo," she interrupted. "Just say if you want me to be yours, because I want you to be mine. Say those words and you don't even have to worry. It may take a bit for the trust part, but I _promise_ …"

"Svea," he jumped in. "Be my stupid girlfriend already. Jesus."

Svea laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Of course," she replied, pulling him in for a kiss. His hands rested on her hips as he chuckled, closing his eyes as he pulled her closer.

"Ahem."

The sound of a throat being cleared forced them to break their kiss. Svea looked over at the source of the sound and smiled at the man who stood in front of them. "Hi, Daddy…" She turned bright red, dropping her hands down to Timo's arms. "Uh, I guess you got a call…"

"And when I got here, Mr. Willie said it was a misunderstanding," he replied, eyeing Timo. "Looks like Alfred got into something… and uh, nice to see your friend again, I guess. Mind reintroducing me to him?"

Svea was still red as she nodded, slowly pulling away from Timo. "Uh, Daddy… this is my boyfriend, Timo."

Timo held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Oxenstierna."


	46. Summer

here it is. the end.

Well, there you have it. 46 chapters and it's done. When I started this rewrite, I was _terrified_ I was going to burnout like I had years ago. I wrote this story in basically a whole semester - a semester where i was taking 18 semester hours (8 hours to my first major, 8 hours to my second major, and 2 for a mandatory class for my work), volunteering every day and night (basically I was working full time without getting paid), as well as much IRL drama and my own mental health. The support you guys gave me and how you guys were so understanding when I had to take a hiatus for finals helped motivate me a ton.

TL;DR: Thank you all so much again and again and again and making me feel welcomed back into the community!

* * *

 **The Five Fabulous Suspects**  
 _Summer_

"Can I steal him away real quick?"

Kiet turned around as he felt two hands rest on his shoulders as the art and Spanish teacher smiled at him. Erikur grinned as they nodded and Kiet opened his mouth to protest, but Erikur took his hand, leading him away from the garage and into the house as Kiet scowled.

"You can't just drag me away from my open house!" Kiet scolded. "This better be good."

"I have a going away present!" Erikur announced. Kiet looked at him, dumbfounded.

"This couldn't wait why?" Kiet asked. Erikur rolled his eyes as he pulled him into the kitchen, opening the cupboard under the sink and pulling out a box. "Oh my God, you didn't…"

"Don't start, Kiettisuk!" Erikur shot back, although his smile never faded. "Open it!"

"Can't it wait? I have guests to greet and…!"

Erikur set the box on the table in front of Kiet, batting his eyelashes as Kiet groaned, slowly peeling the tape from the corners of the box. "I cannot _believe_ this…" he grumbled to himself as he began to unwrap the wrapping paper. Erikur grabbed some scissors, setting them next to Kiet as he walked behind his boyfriend, rubbing his shoulders as he began to open the box.

"Oh my god," Kiet snorted, pulling a large book from the box. "A collection of works by Lovecraft. Perfect," he said with a smile. "How'd you know I needed this for my book collection?"

"Lucky guess," Erikur whispered. "There's more." Kiet rolled his eyes as he pulled out a jersey, and as he unraveled it, a small box fell from it. "So, I saw this the other day…" Erikur shrugged. "It reminded me of you."

Kiet smiled as he set the jersey down, grabbing the small felt box and opening it. He chuckled, running his fingers over the silver elephant pendant on the necklace. "You told me elephants were your favorite animals, so I kind of ran with it."

"It's very sweet," Kiet whispered.

"I thought it could be like… I don't know, it's something that could remind you that I'm always here and care about you…"

Kiet neatly tucked the presents back into the box, resting the necklace on top as he whirled around. "I love it. Thank you." Kiet leaned up, kissing his neck. "You know, I'm gonna miss you a lot. It's a good reminder."

"I'll miss you too, but we'll be so busy we won't even notice, I bet," Erikur mumbled. Kiet rolled his eyes and Erikur wrapped an arm around his waist. "Besides, you're not too far from me."

"I know," Kiet whispered. Erikur cupped his chin and pulled him into a kiss. Kiet wrapped his arms around his neck, muttering into his lips, "I _wish_ I didn't have another hour and a half of this…"

"Same… I mean, we could always sneak off and have a bit of…"

"Kiettisuk!"

There was a loud smack and Erikur jumped back. They turned towards the entryway to the kitchen, where Svea and Mathilde stood, smirking at the two who were bright red. "Can you not suck each other off in Lien's kitchen?" Mathilde asked. "Anyway, Kat says go back out there."

"Yeah, yeah," Kiet mumbled, walking past the two giggling blondes as Erikur crossed his ams. Svea laughed as soon as Kiet was back outside, walking over to link arms with Erikur.

"I hate you both," he snarled.

"Why? Because we helped cockblock you?" Mathilde asked, lips curling into a smile.

"You have all summer!" Svea said with a laugh. "Come on, lover boy, let's go sit down. I'll get you more punch." The three left the house, exiting back into the garage as they approached a table, where Lukas and Timo sat, chatting quietly. Erikur sat down next to Lukas, who passed him his plate of food. Erikur rolled his eyes, but took a bite of the potatoes that were left.

"You making out with your boy toy?" Timo asked. Erikur rolled his eyes. "Kidding, kiddo." Svea approached the table, with three cups of punch in her hand, setting one in front of Erikur and handing another to Timo. "Thanks, babe."

"If you think about it, it's kind of bittersweet," Mathilde mused, standing behind Lukas and leaning against his chair. "Like, open houses and such. It's like graduation starts the summer, and if you think about it, we can't even come _close_ to topping the end of the year for us."

"Rather not think about it," Lukas grumbled. "I was excluded from Arthur's open house the day of graduation, you know?"

"I heard Alfred went though," Mathilde said. Erikur shrugged his shoulders. "What the fuck was that about?"

"He just got shipped to some fancy all-boys boarding school ten minutes from town," Svea grumbled. "I mean, we never have to see him, but he's still around." She shuddered as Timo pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Erikur, Lukas, and Mathilde simultaneously rolled their eyes as Timo stuck out his tongue.

"Well, he won't wanna fuck with us, anyway," Timo finally said. "Besides, we can make this town our _bitch_ over the summer."

"You think we're actually all going to hang out over the summer?"

Everyone glared at Lukas, who just shrugged his shoulders in response. A small smile crept onto his lips as Mathilde playfully smacked him. "Not funny, asshole." She looked over at the group, tapping her chin as she asked, "Well, is anyone actually busy?"

"Yes," Svea and Erikur deadpanned.

"You're not working everyday," Mathilde argued. "And you said you have nights free, Eri. We can make time for a bit of a squad meet up. Pizza and a movie. Recreate our first sleepover!"

"Uh, rather not," Erikur deadpanned. "That hangover was not fun."

The group laughed as Mathilde shook her head. "Okay, minus the drinking… but I think it'd be fun! Just the five of us delinquents, you know?"

Svea nodded. "I'd be down, just let me know when."

Timo grinned. "Of course I'm in!"

"I don't have much of a damn choice," Lukas grumbled. "But _sure_." He looked up at Mathilde and smirked. She rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath as she leaned down to give him a peck.

"It's kind of amazing," Erikur mused. "You know, it's like… who would've thought that a jock, a nerd, a princess, a rebel, and… uh… some actual psycho bitch would be making plans?"

"Psycho bitch?" Mathilde snapped.

"He's not wrong," Svea joked. Mathilde rolled her eyes.

"Never mind, fuck you guys. Uninvited to all further gathers."

The group laughed, and then went back to planning what their summer plans would entail.

* * *

Now, for some other ramblings related to the story.

A lot of reasons I felt the end was rushed and some storylines didn't feel completed because I believe around the late 20s/early 30s chapters of this story, there was a skeleton for a potential sequel. Oh yeah. I was thinking the whole 9 yards for a touchdown, guys. The idea never left. It actually was still in play even after I was finishing up this story, there was a brief outline made, and even the first chapter was started.

The reason why some plotlines (Lukas' for example - his is the most glaringly obvious in my mind) seem incomplete is because they would be brought up and addressed again in this sequel. Likewise, characters like Lien and Eduard were slated to have bigger roles in the story, while Rosie had an ENTIRE plotline cut to be saved for this sequel (which is wild already, seeing as Rosie played a pretty decent role already).

Now, the real question: will this sequel be happening?

As of now, no. I don't see much motivation to give these losers much attention in this AU. I just wrote 46 chapters centered around these guys, and I want a break. At least from this story universe. That being said, if you liked this - and liked Nyotalia - my next story is also Nordic centered with nyotalia. I have typed up a VERY rough draft of the first three chapters (more like two and a half), but I'm gonna revise and edit it a lot because it reads too much like a TV script (which there's a reason for that burt shrugs shoulders so hard they dislocate).

IDK how many will enjoy it, but it's a genre i wanted to write for a bit, and well... you'll see.

Until next time (Which will be SOON!)

\- CiCi


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